The petition challenging the dismissal of Gen Naeem Khalid Lodhi from the office of the defence secretary was fixed on Friday for hearing on January 16 before Lahore High Court Chief Justice Azmat Saeed. The court judicial registrar, who checks maintainability of the petitions before fixing before the judges, admitted the matter and placed it before the bench of the chief justice for proceedings.
The petition was filed by Muhammad Azhar Siddique advocate, Chairman of a public interest litigation company Mohammad & Ahmad, praying to court to restore the defence secretary in his office and restrain Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi from keeping additional charge of the defence secretary’s post. The petitioner stated that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had sacked Lodhi on account of acting illegally and violating the business rules. He stated that the removal of Lodhi was based on malafidies and an attempt to create confrontation between the state institutions.
He stated that Lodhi was removed without giving any show cause notice and without providing him an opportunity to defend himself, adding that the issuance of a show cause notice to any government employee was mandatory and the government did not fulfill the legal formalities.
