The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday granted last opportunity to the federal government to submit reply regarding appointment of 15 special assistants to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

A division bench of the IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Ghulam Azam Qambrani heard the petition moved by a citizen, Farukh Nawaz Bhatti, challenging the status of special assistants to the PM. During the course of hearing, the bench expressed concern over non-submission of reply by the federation, and directed it again to submit a written reply against the petition so that arguments are started.

Justice Farooq observed that the lawyers of some respondents were yet to appear before the bench and directed them to ensure their attendances on the next date of hearing.

The deputy attorney general informed that Yousaf Baig Mirza and Iftikhar Durrani were no more assistants to prime minister, while Naeemul Haq had passed away.

The petitioner's counsel requested the court to view that whether these assistants (mentioned by the deputy attorney general) had been de-notified by the government.

Justice Aamer remarked that the question was that if special assistants could be appointed, whether they could be given the status of federal ministers.

Later, the IHC bench deferred hearing till March 10 for further proceedings in this matter.

Farrukh Nawaz Bhatti has filed a petition and has cited the prime minister and 15 special assistants, including Naeemul Haq, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Nadeem Afzal, Ali Nawaz Awan, Zulfi Bukhari, Shahzad Akbar, Dr Moeed Yusuf, Usman Dar, and others, as respondents.

He has sought 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 and the appointments of the respondent numbers 3 to 18 in exercise of the said rule as unconstitutional, illegal, a burden on debt-trapped national economy, having unconstitutional, ultra vires and illegal status as the federal ministers and ministers of the state, as the case may, misuse of public office and discretion only to accommodate friends and cronies on public expense without having specialization in the relevant fields to be known or said as special assistants to the prime minister (SAPM), a few having dual nationalities and being as such not entitled to hold offices or status as the federal minister or the minister of the state.

"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 argues.