LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Monday directed federal government to submit reply in a petition seeking removal of Zafar Hijazi as chairman, Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) over charges of tampering record of Sharif family’s companies.
Zahir Ali, a local resident, filed the petition and submitted that SECP Chairman Zafar Hijazi was found guilty by the joint investigation team of tempering record of the companies of Sharif family. He said the apex court had ordered registration of an FIR against him under Sections 466 and 471 of PPC read with 5(2)47, the Prevention of Corruption Act. But Haijazi was still holding the office of chairman which was illegal, the petitioner said. The accused had no justification to hold the office, he said. He prayed the court to remove him from the post of SECP chairman.
After hearing his initial arguments, Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza took up the matter and adjourned further hearing for two weeks.
HAJ QUOTA CASE: The LHC on Monday gave Ministry of Religious Affairs a last chance to submit reply in a petition seeking action against alleged illegal distribution of haj-quota.
Justice Masud Abid Naqvi passed the order on a petition moved by private tour operators. In their petition, the petitioners said that authorities allocated quota to private tour operators in an unfair way.
They said that 40 per cent quota was fixed for private tour operators while the Supreme Court had made an assurance that the private tour operators would be given 10 per cent quota. But the same was not done in the instant case. The petitioners said that in spite of following earlier announced quota, the government reduced the quota to 2 percent. The Ministry committed violation of its own guarantee as well as violation of the recommendations made by the apex court regarding economy of financial packages, quality of management and services.
He said the haj flights had started and now the ministry should be directed to allocate 10 percent quota to the petitioners. The counsel for the ministry had sought time for filing written reply. However, the judge gave just one-day time and adjourned further hearing until Tuesday (today).
