PM not a monarch with liberty do whatever he wills: SC

The prime minister is not a monarch with the liberty to whatever he wills, said Justice Jawwad S Khawaja while hearing a case in the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday.
A two-member bench, including Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, resumed the hearing of a case filed by an officer on special duty (OSD).
During the hearing, the reply of former establishment secretary Ghiasuddin Ahmad was presented. The reply said that Hassan Waseem Afzal was performing his duty as principal secretary to former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer when he was made an OSD and sent to the Establishment Division under the verbal orders of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
Justice Jawwad S Khawaja remarked: “We have to see what the legal position of the PM’s verbal orders is. Monarchy has been abolished since long. The PM is not a monarch that he can do whatever he wills. Arbitrary decisions cannot work now; this cannot happen now that one is appointed here and another is appointed in Kot Safdar”.
Afzal told the court that he was working as principal officer with former Punjab governor. During this time Asif Ali Zardari, who was not president at that time, came to the governor’s house and he was asked to leave, Afzal said.
Justice Khawaja remarked that the salaries of government officials are paid by hapless people, adding that the court be informed if any king or prince was paying their salaries. The hearing of the case was adjourned for an indefinite time.