Appointment of PM's aide as head of LG commission set aside.

Byline: Malik Asad

ISLAMABAD -- The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday set aside the appointment of Prime Minister's Special Assistance on Capital Development Authority (CDA) Ali Nawaz Awan as the chairman of the Local Government Commission in the federal capital.

Mr Awan, Pakistan Thereek-i-Insaf (PTI) Member National Assembly (MNA), was pursuing the suspension of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz backed Mayor of Municipal Corporation of Islamabad Anser Aziz Sheikh since his appointment in December last year.

IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani had reserved the judgment in the matter last week and announced it on Tuesday.

Kashif Ali Malik, the counsel for the petitioner, during the course of arguments told the court that the appointment of the PTI lawmaker as the chairman of the commission was an open example of the conflict of interest.

He said the commission, comprising five members, was supposed to be headed by a neutral person since its two members were from the ruling and two from the opposition parties.

Subsequently, the chairman of the commission should be headed by an undisputed person with unquestioned integrity, he further said.

Referring to the Local Government Commission Act, Mr Malik pointed out that as per the law, the commission was answerable to the federal government, adding Mr Awan being a special assistant to the prime minister on CDA was also a part of the federal government.

He recalled that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had declared the appointment of incumbent mayor Islamabad as the CDA chairman illegal since he was heading the CDA and wearing the cap of the mayor as well.

The counsel also raised questions over the...