Advisers, special assistants: Petitioner asked to submit appointment notification

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday sought the notification of the provincial government on appointment of advisors and special assistants in a petition against them.

A division bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, asked the petitioner to submit the notification on appointment of advisers and special assistants to the Sindh chief minister.

The petitioner had moved the court against appointment of more advisers to the chief minister than allowed by the law.

The petitioner submitted in the petition that as many as 21 advisers to the CM were given ministry portfolios despite the fact that they were not elected members of the assembly.

He submitted that advisers to the CM could not be given ministry portfolios as per the law.

He said the CM's advisers had been given different ministry portfolios and were also made special assistants.

He submitted that the respondents were not elected representatives of the people, and, therefore, they could only work as the CM's advisers instead of having ministry portfolios.

The petitioner submitted that the ruling Pakistan People's Party had 99 MPAs, but the party had given ministry portfolios to only 18 of its lawmakers, whereas 21 unelected advisers and four special assistants were running government departments and ministries which was against the law.

The court was requested to set aside the notification on the appointment of the advisers to the CM and in the meantime suspend "the impugned notifications" till decision of the petition.

The petition stated that the SHC had also declared appointment of advisers illegal in another case, at which the bench replied that the court would have to look into this order.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020