LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued contempt notice to the chairman and recruitment manager of Pakistan International Airlines on a petition moved by a woman seeking implementation of 10 per cent job quota in recruitment to the national carrier.

Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan was hearing the case who expressed dismay over non-submission of reply by the airline.

“Why the court orders have not been complied with?” the judge remarked when the petitioner’s counsel showed another ad for fresh recruitment of candidates with the national airline.

“It is clear attempt which is tantamount to contempt of court,” the judge further remarked. The bench directed the respondents’ counsel to come up with reply on the next hearing and put off further proceedings until April 04.

On March 16, the same court had stayed till further orders recruitment process of pilots with the PIA and had sought replies from the respondents.

Komal Zafar, the applicant, had moved the petition and had made Ministry of Defence, PIA Chairman, Recruitment and Placement Section Organizational Development and Cabinet Secretariat Establishment Division.

The petitioner said that she applied for the posts of cadet pilots with the airline and qualified the test but she could not receive call letters while many others had received the same letters. She said there was a policy of 10 per cent quota for women in recruitment with the national carrier but that policy was not being implemented. She said the women were ignored in recruitment. 

She prayed the court to direct the respondents to implement 10 per cent quota across the board in federal government services and order them to recruit her as cadet pilot for being qualified candidate.

Time given in NA-120 case

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday gave one week to the counsel of PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid as well as the lawyers of PML-N and ECP to submit reply on petition against alleged 29,000 votes of NA-120 constituency.

The constituency fell vacant after the Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif as prime minister in Panama case. However, Nawaz’ wife Kalsoom Nawaz won the by-election for NA-120.

However, her rival Dr Yasmin Rashid challenged the results in the court, saying that the Election Commission did not provide her voters’ list and the commission did not take action against casting of 29,000 votes in the by-elections.

Taking up the petition, Justice Aminuddin Khan passed the order when the petitioner’s counsel appeared before the court. Advocate Anees Hashmi, the counsel of Dr Yasmin Rashid, contended that record of over 29,000 votes of the constituency was unavailable with the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) and unverified votes were cast in the by-polls. 

The counsel asked the court to direct the ECP to cancel the unverified votes and also set aside the results of the by-poll.

On last hearing, Justice Khan had given the time to PML-N’s lawyer and ECP to submit replies. However, the counsel of the ECP and the lawyer of Kalsoom Nawaz sought time to submit their replies. The court accepted their plea and directed to ensure submission of their replies on the next hearing, March 15.

Talking to the reporters, Dr Yasmin Rashid said the respondents including ECP and PML-N had intentionally been delaying the proceedings. She said 29,000 fake votes were cast in the by-election but despite clear order of the high court, the ECP did not provide her voters’ list. She said  the state machinery was also used in the by-election of the NA-120 to help Kalsoom win the elections. Instead of taking any action, the ECP played its role as silent spectator, she said. 

Dr Yasmin also said the ECP had become a sub-wing of the PML-N as several petitions filed by the PTI before it remained unfruitful. She said the PTI would not let anyone rob the votes of people. Fair and free election was critical for a prosperous Pakistan, she added. 

Meanwhile,  the  LHC disposed of a petition seeking disqualification of MPA Masroor Nawaz Jhangvi, son of founder of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan Haq Nawaz Jhangvi, and directed Election Tribunal to revisit the representation against him.

An election tribunal had earlier dismissed the representation challenging eligibility of Masroor Nawaz to be Member of the Provincial Assembly.  Maulana Jhangi was elected as member of the Punjab Assembly from PP-78, Jhang, in by-polls held in Dec 2016.

Justice Mahmood directed the Election Tribunal to review the representation.

Muzaffar Abbas, a voter from PP-78, had moved the petition against the MPA, submitting that he was not eligible to be member of the legislative assembly as he was booked in 17 different cases and his name was also included in the 4th schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. 

The petitioner said that Election Tribunal dismissed his petition for being non- maintainable. He said the tribunal ignored the objections raised by him and turned down his representation.

He prayed to the court to set aside the election of Maulana Jhangvi.