AJK govt: BHC seeks written reply over Balochistan govt’s air jet gift

QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court on Thursday directed the Chief Secretary Balochistan and Secretary S&GAD to submit the government’s black and white reply about the matter of air jet gift to the Government of Azad Kashmir.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice High Court Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Rozi Khan Baraich issued the directives during a hearing of the petition against Balochistan government’s move of gifting the official air jet to the Azad Kashmir government.

Petitioner Bayazid Khan Kharoti challenged the move of Balochistan government in the Balochistan High Court.

On behalf of the Chief Secretary Balochistan, the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister submitted the reply to the court contending that the government’s air jet has not yet been handed over to AJK.

“Only suggestions were sought from the Secretary Services and General Administration in this connection”, a written reply submitted by the principal secretary read.

However, Chief Justice Balochistan High Court Naeem Akhtar Afghan termed the reply unsatisfactory, as saying “the case be disposed of if the aircraft is not gifted to the government of AJK”.

It may be recalled that CM Abdul Qaddus Bizenjo in a meeting with AJK Prime Minister Sardar Tanvir Ilyas in April last had announced to give government old air jet to the AJK government.

However, the petitioner in his petition claimed that the CM had formally handed over the documents of the plane to the AJK government in a ceremony held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, which was also reported by the spokesperson of the CM Balochistan. Later, the BHC adjourned the hearing of the case.