SC reinstates Ghulam Dogar as Lahore CCPO

ISLAMABAD        -          The Supreme Court of Pakistan Friday reinstated Ghulam Mahmood Dogar as the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore, days after he was suspended by the federal government. A two-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mazahir Ali Naqvi conducted hearing of the appeal of Dogar against the decision of the special bench of the Federal Service Tribunal (FST) that suspended him for a second time. The apex court issued a notice to the federal government on Dogar’s appeal. Dogar’s counsel informed that his client was reinstated by the FST as CCPO after being suspended by the government for the first time, but subsequently; a two-member bench of the tribunal itself suspended the reinstatement order. He further said that the decision of a two-judge bench of the FST could not be suspended by another two-judge bench while the government’s review petition was also pending before the tribunal. Justice Ijaz questioned that how one bench could suspend the decision of another bench. He said that the special bench, on the other hand, held that the petition was premature and stayed the order. Justice Mazahir inquired that how the Lahore High Court (LHC) said that the constitutional petition was not admissible after the LHC rejected Dogar’s request to set aside the notification concerning his suspension. The petitioner’s counsel told the court that the provincial government did not want to relieve the CCPO of his duties. Later, the court adjourned the hearing for an indefinite period after restoring Dogar as CCPO Lahore. The federal government suspended Lahore CCPO Dogar with immediate effect on November 5. The move came a day after an angry mob of PTI supporters staged a protest demonstration outside Governor House in Lahore against the assassination attempt on the life of the party chairman Imran Khan. The cop challenged his suspension as the CCPO in the Lahore High Court (LHC). He also moved the FST against his suspension. On November 8, the LHC dismissed Dogar’s plea, saying it does not have the authority to hear the case. Meanwhile, on November 10, the tribunal comprising Asim Akram and Mushtaq Jadoon suspended the federal government’s notification of 5th November

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