KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday adjourned the hearing of an application seeking the contempt of court proceedings against Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah for not convening a meeting of the provincial cabinet to consider the Inspector General of Police’s (IGP) submitted-draft of new rules for transfers and postings in the police department as per law.
A division bench was hearing an application filed by Faisal Siddiqui, representing the petitioner Karamat Ali, asking the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the Sindh CM for following its directives.
The provincial law officer told the judges that the Sindh government and the IGP were on the same page, adding that there was a misconception regarding differences between the police and administration.
He said that a committee had been formed to consider the IGP’s drafted rules and AD Khawaja was also invited to attend those meetings. During the hearing, the details of the cabinet meetings were also submitted before the court. Later, the bench put off the hearing till March 13.
Earlier, the provincial police chief AD Khawaja had also confirmed the petitioner’s claim and informed the court that he had drafted new rules and sent the same to the Sindh cabinet. “I had submitted my recommendations regarding newly drafted rules for transfers, postings to the provincial government,” the IGP had told the judges.
The petitioner’s lawyer argued that despite clear directives of the court, the Sindh government had failed to consider the drafted rules, therefore the contempt of court proceedings should be initiated against the CM and others.
Previously, the petitioner’s lawyer Faisal Siddiuqi had maintained that on September 7, 2018, the court in its judgment on AD Khawaja’s removal case had directed the police chief to draft new rules for setting out the manner of transfers and postings and submit the same before the provincial cabinet. He said that complying with the court’s directives, the provincial police chief had drafted new rules and sent the same to the Sindh cabinet on October 6.