LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s recent appointment of Usman Dar as the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme chairperson ostensibly violates Lahore High Court’s (LHC) 2014 order, which amounts to contempt of court, Pakistan Today has learnt.
In 2014, PTI Youth Wing President Zubair Niazi had filed a petition in the LHC challenging Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz’s appointment as PM’s Youth Programme chairperson in the court of former LHC chief justice Mansoor Ali.
Sheraz Zaka, the counsel of the petitioner, had argued that the appointment of the chairperson was not in accordance with the rules since the post was not advertised first.
The respondent, however, had argued that the post was honourary and did not involve any remuneration; hence the rules of appointment of people to hold public office did not apply.
After listening to both, the LHC had rejected the argument that there was a requirement of consideration in order for the rules of appointment to be applied.
The court had instead stated the programme involved Rs9 billion to be spent on various projects, which meant taxpayers money was to be used. This, it had further said, must be done by a competent person and that with relevant experience.
