Tuesday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) temporarily stopped PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi from performing his duties as special assistant to the prime minister (SAPM).
The IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah issued the directives while hearing former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed’s petition, challenging Abbasi’s appointment as SAPM.
According to the petition by Sheikh Rasheed, “a person with a criminal conviction, particularly a conviction for dealing in narcotics which is an offence involving ‘moral turpitude’ is unsuitable to hold such a position. To clarify, Sheikh Rasheed was referring to Hanif Abbasi’s conviction in the 2018 ephedrine case.
In 2018, the Control of Narcotics Substances (CNS) court handed life imprisonment to Hanif Abbasi in the case. Judge Sardar Muhammad Akram pronounced the judgment, saying Abbasi was guilty of selling 500kg ephedrine illegally to narcotics smugglers. He also imposed a fine of Rs1 million on the PML-N leader.
Read more: Supreme Court straight-shooting at Hanif Abbasi!
In today’s hearing, Justice Minallah observed that a person who has been convicted could not hold public office. However, Abbasi’s counsel Ahsan Bhoon argued that the office of the SAPM was not similar to other public offices.
“The SAPM’s job is to advise the prime minister, he can do that without a notification as well,” Justice Minallah observed.
آج اسلام آباد ہائیکورٹ کے چیف جسٹس اطہر من اللہ کا بڑا فیصلہ !!شہباز شریف کے معاون خصوصی حنیف عباسی کو کام کرنے سے روک دیا گیا !!حنیف عباسی کی طرف سے احسن بھون اور شیخ رشید کی طرف سے بیرسٹر سرجیل اور انتظار حسین پنچھوتہ پیش ہوئے۔ غرور کا سر نیچا ہوتا ہے
— Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (@ShkhRasheed) May 17, 2022
Shehbaz Sharif’s federal cabinet
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has received immense criticism for his appointments in the federal cabinet. PTI leaders had a lot to say about the new federal ministers.
Taking to Twitter, former Minister for Maritime Affairs, Ali Haider Zaidi highlighted the corruption charges against the new federal ministers. For instance, Shazia Marri presented a fake degree while participating in NA 235 elections. Now, Shazi Marri holds the portfolio of Benazir Income Support Programme. Ali Haider Zaidi also named more ministers who are either on a bail or have cases lodged against them.
“100% PML-N cabinet members on bail! Welcome to Purana Pakistan,” Ali Haider Zaidi tweeted.
State of our new Fed Cabinet:
Shazia Marri: Fake Degree case
Qadir Patel: Hawks bay land case
Khurshid Shah: on bail
Raja Pervaiz: on bail
Hina Rabbani: Electricity theft case
List is long!
100% PMLN cabinet members on bail!
Welcome to Purana Pakistan #امپورٹڈ_حکومت_نامنظور— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) April 19, 2022
Similarly, former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry too mocked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet. Owing to the corruption charges against the federal ministers, Fawad Chaudhry said the list of the new cabinet members looks like an attendance sheet for the Central Jail.