LAHORE – The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday directed the advocate general of Punjab to appear before the court on November 13 and apprise about the procedure for the appointment of the law officers.
Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah passed the order on petition moved by advocate Ch Shoaib Saleem.
During the proceedings, a law officer told the Chief Justice that it is the discretionary power of the Punjab chief minister that he may appoint law officers and provincial law department makes rules and regulations for appointment of law officers.
He opposed the petition saying that the same should be dismissed for being not-maintainable. The CJ, however, issued notice to Advocate General Punjab to submit reply on November 13, the next date of hearing.
Earlier, the petitioner-lawyer contended that on Oct 13, former additional advocate general Khawar Ikram Bhatti slapped a police officer outside a NAB court despite that he was holding a constitutional post.
He said it was the day when Captain Safdar and Maryam Nawaz had to appear before the NAB court. Being public office holder, he was obligated to have been in his office or in court performing his duties as he was drawing a hefty salary from the national exchequer but he was there in the crowd, the lawyer said.
He alleged that the law officers participate in political rallies. The conduct, act and omission of Khawar Ikram Bhatti was an example of it, though, an FIR No 286/17 was also lodged against him under sections of 353, 186 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code with police station Ramna, Islamabad on the same day, and subsequently he was also removed from the office.
