Suo motu notice: SC orders removal of SAPM Dr Zafar Mirza

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court Pakistan on Monday ordered the federal government to remove Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Zafar Mirza. Hearing the suo motu notice, CJP Gulzar Ahmed remarked that they are not satisfied with Dr Zafar Mirza. “It is beyond understanding that what type of team is working on coronavirus. There are serious allegations against high-level government functionaries,” he observed. He remarked that the there is an army of special assistants who have the powers of ministers, but no work is being done. “The cabinet has increased to 50 members and some cabinet members even face criminal allegations,” he observed. The CJP remarked that the court had asked five questions, but the government did not respond to a single one. “Will the parliament legislate to deal with the emergency? What steps are being taken to implement the social distancing?” he questioned. The court also summoned details about the relief activities carried out by administration in Islamabad, Punjab and Sindh by Monday. It also demanded details about the distribution of ration. CJP Gulzar Ahmed headed the bench which comprised of Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed. On Friday, CJP Gulzar Ahmed had sent notices to the Attorney-General of Pakistan, the health secretary, and the interior secretary and questioned the inadequate facilities being provided to citizens by the federal government to combat the coronavirus. In a report submitted to the SC on Saturday, the government had informed CJP Gulzar Ahmed that an emergency had been declared in the border areas of Balochistan with Iran and additional staff deployed at all border crossings.