The Lahore High Court (LHC), showing surprise on claims of ‘working without taking salary,’ sought a complete record of the Punjab chief minister’s task forces by June 10 along with a detailed report about all directors and project heads working in other departments without taking any incentives.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed issued the order after hearing a statement of Punjab Assistant Advocate General Shujaat Ali Khan, who on behalf of the Punjab government, claimed that eight directors of the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) are serving without taking any salary on pattern of the CM’s task forces. The court was hearing a petition filed by Muhammad & Ahmad, a public interest litigation firm, through Azhar Siddique, pleading that eight directors of the PEF were appointed on political basis by ignoring merit.
They alleged that the Punjab government, through a notification dated March 18, appointed government officers on seats reserved for non-government directors. He said that PEF Director Mohaiuddin Wani resigned from PEF’s directorship on May 10 while Raja Anwar, chairman CM’s Task Force for Elementary Education, has left the task force and is now serving the PEF without taking any salary or incentive.
Dr Zafar Iqbal Qureshi, working with the Strategy and Innovation Unit CM Secretariat is also not taking salary or incentive. PEF Vice Chairman Dr Amjad Saqib is also working without salary. Justice Saeed remarked that how it is possible that they are working without salary. The court asked that what will be the case “If the prime minister desires to be appointed director of any department without taking any salary, it is possible under the law?”
The petitioners said that according to Section 5 of the new law, a board consisting of seven government and eight non-government directors would be constituted to run the affairs of the foundation. He requested the court to declare the said appointments as illegal and stop the directors from working.
LHC seeks record of ‘volunteers’ in PEF, CM’s task forces
