Retirement of Rehman Malik: LHC directs law officer to produce copy of notification

The Lahore High Court here Monday called the copy of notification through which removal from service of interior minister/senator Rehman Malik was converted into retirement by October 15. The court Judge earlier had ordered for production of this notification and so far this order could not be complied with.
The court issued the direction to a deputy attorney general while hearing a petition seeking disqualification of Rehman Malik as senator on the basis of removal from service. The petitioner one Mahfooz Ahmad submitted that Rehman Malik was removed from service in Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in 1998 and as such he was not eligible to be elected senate member.
During the hearing on Monday, a deputy attorney informed that President Asif Ali Zardari had converted removal of Rehman Malik into retirement so objection taken by the petitioner became ineffective. At this the court directed the law officer to produce the notification till August 19 about the retirement of the interior minister.
Petitioner had also challenged the notification, which converted removal of Rehman Malik into retirement pleading that the President had no authority to issue such notification. He, therefore, prayed to the court to declare the impugned notification null and void and respondent senator be disqualified to hold the seat.