KARACHI - Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday sought a full reply from the Sindh government over appointments of advisers and special assistants to the Chief Minister Sindh.

A high court bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, heard a petition challenging the appointments of advisers and special assistants by the provincial government. The petitioner claimed that they had been given ministry portfolios in violation of the law.

The petitioner pleaded with the court to set aside the notification regarding their appointments and stop the government from giving ministry portfolios to advisers and special assistants.

The court expressed anger over the government’s failure to submit its reply over the matter and asked why the government failed to submit its reply.

“The court will serve notices on all advisers and special assistants directly if the office of the Advocate General (AG) does not submit its reply,” the court warned.

The Assistant Advocate General (AAG) told the court that the Supreme Court had already decided the matter and the petition is non-maintainable.

The government lying over the matter, the petitioner said. “The high court had declared the appointment of all advisers and assistants as void, they should surrender their offices,” the petitioner said. “The advisers and assistants could not exercise the powers of people’s representatives,” he added.

Justice Mazhar asked the AAG to submit a complete reply and remarked: “You have 26 advisers and special assistants; only giving references of court rulings are not sufficient.”

The AAG sought time from the court for submission of the government’s answer in the case.