ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday accepted an application for early hearing of a writ petition challenging the appointments of 15 special assistants to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

A division bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the application, and directed the office to fix July 15 as next date for hearing of the petition.

Petitioner Farrukh Nawaz Bhatti filed the petition through his counsel G M Chaudhary, and cited Prime Minister Imran Khan and the 15 special assistants, including Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Nadeem Afzal, Ali Nawaz Awan, Zulfi Bukhari, Shahzad Akbar, Dr Moeed Yusuf and Usman Dar, as respondents.

Bhatti sought the declaration of sub-rule (6) of Rule 4 of the Rules of Business, 1973, as ultra vires to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, illegal.

"All such appointments are liable to be set aside ab initio from their dates of appointment with a further direction to declare the actions, decisions or exercise of any power under any law as well as receipt of any financial benefit including their salaries, allowances, perks, privileges, etc., as illegal, void ab initio, coram non judice and illegal gain and direct for recovery of such salaries, allowances, perks, privileges, etc., from the Respondent No. 3 to 18," the petition states.

It further said that as far as their competence and expertise in their respective areas allocated to them is questionable as there is no any noteworthy and substantial contribution of them towards Pakistan and its governance system except they had enjoyed the friendly relations or managed their appointments by using "undue" influence and receiving hefty salaries, allowances, perks and privileges.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020