Islamabad - The Islamabad High Court yesterday barred the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from taking any adverse action against an acting director Yasir Mahmood who is facing departmental inquiry for his alleged role in leaking information to media.
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb also directed the ministry to produce relevant record before the court on the next hearing.
After issuing these directions, the IHC bench deferred the hearing in matter till June 13 for further proceedings.
According to the details, the ministry has alleged that the acting director is accused of passing on some information which is a part of smear campaign and to distort image of the ministry.
The stories were published in some newspapers regarding the financial irregularities allegedly committed by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jillani when he was serving as foreign secretary. It was alleged in the news stories that the ministry officials hushed up an audit para for the recovery of Rs4.8 million and the allotment of a plot of land, worth Rs10 billion, to the Pakistan Foreign Office Women Association (PFOWA) free of cost, which the PFOWA sublet to a private school.
Earlier, an IHC bench had turned down Mahmood’s petition directing him to file the matter before federal services tribunal but he once again has approached the court saying that he has not been provided with a chance of fair trial.
He adopted in his petition that he was on leave for over 2 years and never possessed any sensitive material. The petitioner alleged that he was being victimised to absolve the foreign secretary from responsibility of keeping the documents of his ministry in secure custody.
His counsel contended before the court that the departmental inquiry against his client was baseless and there was no evidence against him. His client was on leave but the ministry without providing him ample opportunity of defence charge sheeted him.
He continued that his client has not been provided with the right of fair trial that is guaranteed under article 10-A.
Therefore, he prayed to the court to provide him with a right to defend him in this matter.