IHC issues contempt notice to Minister

ISLAMABAD (Agencies): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday issued a contempt of court notice to Federal Minister for Science and Technology Agha Hassan Baloch and secretary science and technology.

In its written order, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) said that prima facie both the minister as well as the secretary had deliberately violated the court order. “Both are issued a show-cause notice. Please explain within five days as to why contempt proceedings are not initiated against you,” the court said.

The court issued the notice in the case of the appointment of acting DG Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Ghulam Farooq. The Islamabad High Court (IHC), in its order, said that the court had, on March 22, 2023, suspended the notification of Farooq’s appointment. But, through office order, dated March 28, another joint secretary Ziauddin was appointed on the post. And on April 10, Farooq was reinstated through another office order.

The high court further said that a civil servant could not be appointed on the post of MP scale, and that it was the federal government, and not the Ministry of Science and Technology, that was authorized to appoint the DG; therefore it suspended the second notification for the appointment of Farooq. Dr. Shahzad Afzal had challenged the appointment of an officer junior to him as the acting DG.