SC dismisses appeals against AD Khawaja

Lahore: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday ruled that there was ‘no merit’ in the Sindh government’s appeals against a Sindh High Court (SHC) verdict that had granted Sindh Police Inspector General (IG) AD Khawaja complete autonomy over the provincial Police Department.

Chaired by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, a three-member bench of the apex court heard the Sindh government’s appeals at its Lahore registry.

In July 2017, the Sindh government had stripped inspector general’s powers to transfer and post senior SP and SSP-ranked officers. The move was seen as the fallout of an ongoing tussle between the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led set-up and Khawaja.

In September 2017, the Sindh High Court (SHC) had restored Khawaja’s powers of transfers and postings within the Police Department, bringing to an end the legal wrangling between civil rights campaigners and the Sindh government over the IG’s office.

A month later, the provincial government, represented by their counsel Farooq H Naek, had challenged the SHC ruling in the apex court, maintaining that the services of an IG were offered to the province on the will of the provincial governments.