Supreme Court on Monday accepted a petition for preliminary hearing. Through this petition, the petitioner, has urged the apex court to declare the appointment of Chairman Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) illegal. The petition was filed by a sacked official of SECP''s Law Division, Muhammad Ashraf Tiwana.
A three-judge bench headed by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani also appointed senior lawyers Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and Khalid Anwar as amici curiae in the case against the appointment of Chairman SECP M Ali Ghulam Muhammad. During the course of hearing, of counsel for applicant, Afnan Kundi, contended that the appointment of SECP''s chairman was a violation of fundamental rights. Kundi pleaded that a broker could not be appointed as SECP chairman and alleged that nepotism in the SECP was on the rise after the incumbent chairman took over.
Meanwhile, the counsel for SECP argued that the petition was not maintainable and the Supreme Court was not the proper forum to challenge the appointment of SECP chairman. He apprised the bench that if the applicant had any grievance against M. Ali Ghulam Muhammad he should approach a High Court to get the remedy. Upon this, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed that it was time to decide the criteria for filing of direct petitions in the apex court and appointed Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and Khalid Anwar as amici curiae and adjourned hearing of the case till November 19.