LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday suspended a departmental inquiry of alleged negligence against Income Tax Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Abid and sought a reply from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabir passed the stay order after hearing the arguments of the petitioner’s counsel.

Advocate Safdar Shaheen Pirzada, the counsel for the petitioner, stated that his client joined the service in 1998 after qualifying CSS examination. He said the petitioner had been performing his duties with due diligence and professional honesty. He pointed out that several officials, including the petitioner, were placed in administration pool during July 2024 after the prime minister and the ministers at a press conference criticised the performance of the FBR at a press conference. He said an inquiry was also initiated against the petitioner on the pretext of negligence in performance of duty.

The lawyer said the petitioner carried out tax recovery within the legal framework and as per the target. He argued that the inquiry proceedings were conducted in violation of the laws and an opportunity of cross-examination was not afforded to the petitioner as well in clear negation of principle enshrined in Article 10-A of the Constitution.

He alleged that the inquiry proceeding appeared to be an eyewash and the authority had already worked with a premeditated and pre-decided to make the petitioner a scapegoat.

The counsel asked the court to set aside the notification of impugned inquiry against the petitioner.

The judge suspended the inquiry and sought a reply from the FBR chairman and the inquiry office within a fortnight.

summoned: The Lahore High Court on Monday summoned two officials of the Airport Security Force (ASF) on a habeas corpus petition seeking recovery of a woman assistant sub-inspector (ASI) from the alleged custody of the force.

Earlier, Justice Abher Gul Khan rejected the replies filed by a deputy attorney general on behalf of the respondent officials.

The judge directed the law officer to ensure the appearance of the respondents – chief security officer and an assistant director of the ASF posted at Lahore airport – on Tuesday (today).

Razia Bibi, the mother of ASI Shazia Ameer, filed the petition through Advocate Gohar Sarfraz Qureshi.

The counsel argued that the daughter of the petitioner had been serving as ASI of the ASF for the last 10 years. He said the woman official came from Multan to the ASF camp at Walton Road, Lahore, on March 5 where she was illegally detained by the respondents without any legal justification.

He said the ASI was not in contact with her family and subsequently the petitioner received a message on whatsapp informing that her daughter was in illegal custody of the respondents.

He asked the court to appoint a bailiff for the recovery of the alleged detainee and set her free.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2025