Punjab caretaker govt’s decision on 97 law officers upheld
LHC upholds the law officer appointments made by the Punjab interim government. 97 law enforcement officers' petition was denied by the court. In the verdict of the five-member bench, Justice Asim provides a dissident note.
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court dismissed petitions filed by 97 law officers, including Punjab Advocate-General Ahmed Awais, who was appointed by the former PTI government.
Upholding the Punjab caretaker decision to appoint law officers, the bench set aside the notification of new 19 law officers who retained their offices in the last government headed by Hamza Shahbaz, the-then chief minister of Punjab.
A five-member bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, heard several petitions wherein the act of removal of law officers, appointed by the-then PTI government, by the caretaker government had been challenged.
Four judges ruled unanimously in favour of the caretaker government’s decision, with Justice Asim Hafeez writing a dissenting note.
Punjab Advocate-General Ahmed Awais and other law officers had challenged their removal by the caretaker government, contending they had been removed illegally by the caretaker setup.
The representatives of the caretaker government, on the other hand, claimed that the former government’s appointees were removed by the law. The bench, after hearing detailed arguments from all sides, reserved its decision. On Tuesday, the bench announced the decision.
