The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a plea filed by Federal Minister for Housing and Works Faisal Saleh Hayat against a verdict by the Islamabad High Court that reinstated an executive engineer (ex-en) of his ministry.
A three-member bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez expressed concern over the federal minister’s plea and for approaching the apex court against a government official in his personal capacity, as rules did not allow him to do so.
The chief justice asked the minister’s lawyer to tell his client that he should not get personal and if such things were allowed, the heads of all ministries would approach courts against their subordinates.
The petitioner had contended that Ex-EN Fayyaz Ahmad was suspended due to his alleged involvement in irregularities of a project, Construction of Bridge over River Ravi on Kamalia – Harrapa Road, Mal Fatyana District Toba Tek Singh.
Faisal had said that the inquiry was ordered by the ministry against him on December 7, 2011, but he challenged the matter in the high court, which gave him relief. On the other hand, the respondent executive engineer submitted that upon refusal to surrender before illegal demands of Faisal Saleh’s front man, a so called fact finding inquiry was managed through MB Awan, joint secretary of the Housing Ministry.
“MB Awan has a dubious reputation and was once dismissed from service on corruption charges. MB Awan, on the behest of the petitioner, tried to entangle the respondent in the so called scam of Kamalia Bridge,” the ex-en added.
SC rejects Faisal Saleh’s plea against reinstatement of ex-en
