CJP Nisar annoyed at Fawad’s ‘irresponsible’ statement

ISLAMABAD: The visibly irked Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has summoned federal ministers Fawad Chaudhry and Azam Swati in IG Islamabad transfer case to appear before the court today.

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The CJP was heading a three-member bench which was hearing the suo motu notice of transfer of top Islamabad cop in a controversial manner earlier this week, reportedly after Azam Swati’s complaint to the prime minister.

The chief justice remarked that the statement of the minister was ‘irresponsible’ and we could not imagine of such thing. The affected family was also ordered to be present when the hearing resume.

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Defending the removal of IG Islamabad Jan Mohammad, the information minister noted that Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi had earlier written to Prime Minister Imran Khan that the IGP had failed to take action against the widespread use of drugs in the federal capital's schools and colleges. He said the prime minister was also told that bribery was widespread in Islamabad's police stations and check points.

Fawad Chaudhry said IGs are answerable to the prime minister and chief minister, who are answerable to the public through assemblies. He maintained that if the government was to be run by bureaucrats, then there might be no need for elections and a few bureaucrats might be appointed to run the government.

He regretted that a narrative was being built that if (officers) did not receive phone calls, then they would become heroes, cautioning this would lead to chaos and anarchy in the country. The minister also maintained that the government policies were not being followed with regards to some matters.

The minister said the government would present its arguments in the Supreme Court and would follow the apex court judgement. When his attention was drawn to various media reports on the issue of IGP and slum dwellers, the minister said he could not comment on the veracity of reports that minister Azam Swati had influenced the IGP's transfer.

Directing the bureaucrats to defy the illegal orders of the government, the apex court on Monday suspended the transfer of Jan Muhammad.

The secretary interior informed the court that the IGP Islamabad was transferred by the secretary Establishment Division. When the CJP asked the secretary interior in whose jurisdiction the capital police fell, he replied that the interior ministry dealt with the Islamabad Police.

Azam told the court that he had not been consulted at the time of transfer.

The chief justice said the apex court will not tolerate political transfers. He recalled that earlier a transfer had also been made in the Punjab and that too within a matter of days. Later, when Secretary Establishment Ijaz Munir appeared before the court, the chief justice asked him about the actual reason behind the transfer of IGP Jan Muhammad.

Munir informed the court that the transfer was long overdue as the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was not satisfied with the IGP’s performance. Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan informed the court that Jan Mohammad was transferred on the verbal orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The chief justice then asked on which minister's orders the prime minister had issued verbal orders for the transfer. "We will not allow the country to be run like this. The country will not be run on somebody's whims but as per the law," he added.

"Is this Naya Pakistan?" the chief justice asked the secretary Establishment. The chief justice observed that the government officers served none other than the state of Pakistan and they should refuse to implement the illegal orders.