LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday admitted for a petition regular hearing seeking directives for the Punjab government to device a mechanism for appointment of law officers with the AGP, the constitutional office, and bar them from taking part in political rallies.
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 (CJ) that it is the discretionary power of the Punjab CM to appoint law officers, whereas the 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 Punjab advocate general to submit reply on Nov 13, the next date of hearing.
Earlier, the petitioner-lawyer contended that on Oct 13, former AAG Khawar Ikram Bhatti slapped a police officer outside a NAB court despite that he was holding a constitutional post. Being a 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 which ought to change.
