MULTAN: The Lahore High Court’s Multan Bench on Thursday disposed of petitions filed by Multan Mayor Chaudhry Naveedul Haq Arain against the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) for initiating investigations and lodging an FIR against him on the charges of committing gross irregularities and releasing payments of hundreds of million rupees to his favourite firms and approving commercial maps against building by-laws.

Mr Arain filed four petitions and the court issued directions to the ACE authorities to not harass him. He also filed a petition requesting the court to quash an FIR lodged against him on Jan 8, 2020, despite the fact that the court had issued a stay order.

Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Saeed Ahmad Ansari postponed the budget session of the Municipal Corporation due to the absence of corporation’s officers and noncooperation of the lower staff. Later, the chairmen besieged the office of the chief officer and shouted slogans against the government. They also exchanged harsh words with the other party over which CO Farmaish Ali refused to attend the session.

The chairmen informed the CO that he was violating the ruling of the Supreme Court and they would again move court against him. A chairman even tore the copy of the agenda and threw it towards the CO while saying that preparing the budget was the responsibility of the officers and the House was supposed to approve it only over which the CO said the mayor had to table the agenda of the session and he tried to contact him thrice through the corporation’s employees.

He told the chairmen that despite his several attempts the mayor could not be contacted but a message to the deputy mayor was sent by the mayor to convene the session despite the fact that it could not be held without the presence of the mayor.

Meanwhile, he apologised to the chairmen for not attending the session after which they dispersed.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2021