KARACHI: Chairperson of Sindh Commission for Protection of Journalists and Media Practitioners (SCPJMP) retired Justice Nazar Akbar on Thursday resigned from the office as the information department was asked by the provincial cabinet to initiate a new summary for the fresh appointment for the slot after the information minister’s reservations over his appointment by the caretaker government.

The former judge of the Sindh High Court had on Aug 15 tendered his resignation from the office of the chairman of the Executive Council of Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) in protest over the “illegal” continuation of the CPLC chief for the past five years without any official notification from the home department.

While tendering his resignation as SCPJMP to the chief minister, a copy of which is available with Dawn, Mr Akbar said that he was never interested in becoming the SCPJMP chief, but it was former caretaker information minister Ahmed Shah and some journalists who had proposed his name for the slot without his consent and knowledge after the demise of the chairman, retired Justice Rasheed A. Razvi.

He said that the former caretaker information minister had informed him on Feb 21, 2024 that he [Justice Akbar] had been appointed as the SCPJMP chairperson.

The former judge of the Sindh High Court further went on to state in his resignation that the former caretaker information minister had explained to him that a retired bureaucrat was under consideration for the slot and the Pakistan Union of Journalists had strongly protested the proposed appointment of a bureaucrat, demanding the appointment of a retired judge instead of a bureaucrat.

Mr Akbar said that the caretaker information minister had also shared a press report regarding the protest of the PFUJ on the proposed appointment of a bureaucrat.

He wrote in the resignation letter that after about two and half months of smooth functioning of the commission since he took over, the information secretary on May 15, 2024 initiated a summary for the chief minister for determination of terms and conditions/service rules in respect of the chairperson of the SCPJMP as required under Section 12 of the SCPJMP Act, 2021.

“In summary, for the first time, reservations were shown by the Senior Minister for Information as to whether the interim government was competent to appoint the chairperson of the commission,” he said.

Mr Akbar added that the law secretary had clarified in his response that the appointment of chairperson was lawfully made in terms of the scope of Section 230(1)(a) and Section 230(2) € of the Election Act, 2017 being day-to-day matters, deeming it necessary to run the affairs of the government as a short term (tenure appointment) in the public interest.

He said that the summary from the information department for determination of terms and conditions with respect to the chairperson of the commission was taken up in the meeting of the provincial cabinet on July 11.

The former SHC judge said that the decision of the cabinet on the aforesaid summary had not been officially communicated to him by anyone, despite the fact that it pertained to his office. “However, the information department has been asked by the cabinet to initiate a new summary for the fresh appointment for the chairperson along with proposed terms and conditions,” he added.

He said that with utmost respect to the decision of the cabinet, which he did not want to contest on any ground whatsoever, he wished to facilitate the cabinet to implement it without violating any law, particularly certain sections of the SCPJMP Act, 2021.

The relevant sections he referred to were Section 10 (1), (2) and (3) which said that a person appointed as chairperson shall hold office for a term of three years from the date which he assumes the responsibilities of the office of the chairperson; the term of the office may be extended for one more term only, on the recommendations of the commission; and the chairperson may resign from his or her office in writing addressed to the chief minister and on acceptance of the resignation, such vacancy shall be filled within thirty days as per Section 9.

Mr Akbar said that it was obvious that since there was no vacancy for the chairperson, according to the law department, the appointment of the present chairperson was within the competence of the caretaker government.

“In view of the above facts and circumstances to facilitate the Cabinet to implement its decision dated July 11, 2024, I hereby resign in terms of Section 10 (3) of the SCPJMP Act, 2021, from the post of chairperson of the SCPJMP and request the chief minister to kindly immediately accept my resignation so that fresh appointment may be made without embarrassing the words of law”, he concluded.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2024