SC restores Islamabad Mayor Ansar Aziz

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday restored Sheikh Ansar Aziz as Mayor Islamabad by annulling his suspension. A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the petition filed by Ansar who had also urged the court to let him perform his duties as mayor till the matter was decided.

During the hearing, Local Government Secretary Ali Sufyan appeared before the court and presented the minutes and the agenda of the Local Government Commission's meetings held on May 7 and May 14.

Advocate General Islamabad adopted before the court that the federal cabinet suspended the mayor on the recommendations of the Local Government Commission. Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) Officer Syeda Shafaq Hashmi presented the reference against the mayor.

The court was informed that Aziz was accused of corruption in the Rs42 million contract of intercity bus terminals - five bus stations in various parts of the city - the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) had awarded last year.

The commission recommended the mayor's suspension for 90 days to conduct a transparent probe into the matter, informed Sufyan. He added that six out of nine commission members were present during the meeting.

Aziz's counsel maintained that according to media reports. He urged the bench to issue an order for probing the conduct of the LG secretary. The counsel maintained that the appointment of Ali Awan [a PTI MNA] as the chairperson of the commission was a conflict of interest.

After hearing the arguments, the IHC single bench ordered the restoration of Aziz as Mayor Islamabad. The mayor was suspended "with immediate effect for 90 days for fair conduct of inquiry under section 96, sub-section (1) of Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015 (X of 2015)," read the notification issued by the Interior Ministry on Sunday.

It was the contention of the petitioner that soon after the appointment of Ali Nawaz Awan as the chairman of Local Government Commission (LGS), the commission has started creating hurdles in the affairs of the petitioner and started to pass orders in casual and arbitrary manner.

Earlier this year, a reference was filed against Aziz in which it was alleged that he was abusing his powers, using staff for personal use and operating official vehicles that were reportedly beyond his entitlement.

The reference was filed by Hummayun Akhtar, a member of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the acting Chief Metropolitan Officer (CMO). A local government commission led by PTI lawmaker Ali Nawaz Awan had recommended Aziz be suspended during the course of an ensuing investigation.

Mayor Aziz however challenged the reference in the Islamabad High Court, claiming that the accusations against him were politically motivated. He had informed the court that despite a legal delegation of power to the MCI, many of the functions had not been transferred by the CDA and the Chief Commissioner's Office to the MCI.