The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the federal government to submit written reply regarding removal of Rear Admiral Jamil Akhtar (retired) as chairman Karachi Port Trust (KPT).
A single bench of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard and sought a written reply from the federal government by maintaining its stay order against the removal of chairman KPT.
Admiral Jamil (retired) was appointed chairman KPT by the previous government on November 23, 2017 for three years but the federal government removed him from the post on March 25, citing different reasons.
According to a notification issued by the Establishment Division on March 25, the federal government removed Akhtar from the post "forthwith by modifying/reducing his period of initial appointment in terms of Section 11 of the KPT Act, 1886, with immediate effect."
Later, another notification of the division said that "the federal government is pleased to assign additional charge of the post of the chairman of the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) to Shakeel Mangnejo (BS-21), Director General of Ports and Shipping, Karachi, under the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, for a period of three months."
However, a notification issued by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs stated that Akhtar had been removed from the office of the chairman of the KPT with immediate effect because of "irregularities in the KPT".
In the same notification, the ministry directed Mangnejo to assume the additional charge of the KPT chairman in accordance with the notification issued by the Establishment Division.
Another notification related to the issue stated that the "federal government, in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 11 of the KPT Act, 1886, has been pleased to remove Rear Admiral Jamil Akhtar HI (M) (retired) from the post of chairman KPT forthwith."
Admiral Jamil's counsel contended that his client was appointed as KPT chairman by virtue of his office as one of the trustees of the KPT.
He argued that without placing the matter before the federal cabinet, the federal government had issued the impugned notification of March 25, and that, too by misinterpreting the Section 11 read with Section 15 and 15(A) of the Karachi Port Trust Act, 1886.
The counsel argued that once a trustee or the chairman was appointed, then his removal could only be made on the grounds clearly written in the above-mentioned sections of the KPT Act. The case was adjourned until April 9.