ISLAMABAD: A day after the federal government suspended Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz over alleged corruption charges, Aziz moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the decision.
In his petition, Aziz pleaded with the court to cancel the notification issued by the Ministry of Interior by allowing him to resume office until the court concluded the matter.
Aziz, who belongs to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was removed for a period of 90 days on the recommendations of the Local Government Commission (LGC), dominated by members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The move elicited an immediate reaction from the PML-N which termed the move “a coup d’état” and vowed to challenge it in court.
Aziz, in his petition, nominated the federal government, Ministry of Interior and the LGC while requesting the court to direct the said institutions to “work within the orbit of the law”.
“The action taken against me is illegal,” he added.
The LGC in its last meeting held on May 14 had recommended to the government to suspend the mayor so that an inquiry relating to an alleged corruption reference could be initiated against him.
The federal cabinet headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan, through circulation, got the approval of the decision to suspend the mayor and subsequently, the Ministry of Interior issued a notification on a public holiday.
Aziz had been elected as the mayor and head of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) in April 2016, following the first-ever local government elections in Islamabad held in November 2015. The MCI was formed after devolving major departments of the CDA.
The LGC is headed by PTI MP from Islamabad Ali Nawaz Awan, who is also a special assistant to the prime minister on the affairs of the capital’s civic agency known as the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
The commission’s two members from opposition parties — Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed of the PML-N and Raja Pervez Ashraf of the PPP — were not present at the meeting at which the commission took up the matter out of agenda and decided to recommend to the government to suspend the mayor in connection with the intercity bus terminals’ (five bus stations in various parts of the city) contract worth Rs42 million, which the MCI had awarded last year.
The commission decided to hold a proper inquiry into the matter besides recommending to the government to suspend the mayor for 90 days.
