MUZAFFARABAD: In a surprising development on Monday, the chairman of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) top accountability body, Mushtaq Ahmed Janjua,resigned from his position barely 10 months after his appointment by Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq.

Citing health issues and family obligations, Mr Janjua submitted his handwritten resignation on official letterhead to AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood.

“Due to ill health and certain family commitments, I find myself unable to continue discharging the responsibilities of Chairman Ehtesab Bureau. Therefore, I resign from this office,” he wrote.

The resignation was promptly approved by the president and forwarded to the chief secretary for the issuance of a formal notification, his office confirmed.

A senior lawyer from Muzaffarabad considered close to Prime Minister Haq, Mr Janjua had been appointed to the position on February 10 this year. However, his tenure was marred by legal challenges questioning his eligibility and professional conduct.

Two petitions were filed in the AJK High Court against his appointment — one by civil society activist Shahid Zaman Awan on August 16 and another by PML-N regional secretary general Chaudhry Tariq Farooq on August 29.

The petitioners had alleged that Mr Janjua had obtained his law degree while serving as a science teacher without securing the necessary NOC or study leave from the education department. They further claimed that he had been compulsorily retired from his teaching position for misconduct, disqualifying him from holding public office.

After alleged delays in the high court, Mr Farooq escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, filing a Petition for Leave to Appeal (PLA). On September 26, the apex court admitted the petition and remanded the case to the high court with instructions to issue a verdict within a month.

On October 22, a high court bench, comprising Chief Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja and Justice Sardar Liaquat, dismissed both petitions. The court ruled that only persons with genuine public interest could have the legal standing to file such cases.

The bench also noted that allegations regarding Mr Janjua’s degree and professional conduct required further evidence and could not be resolved at the current stage. Claims of embezzlement were dismissed due to lack of evidence.

Despite this, the high court’s judgement was challenged by Mr Farooq in the Supreme Court. Additionally, he also filed a contempt application against Mr Janjua and Advocate General Sheikh Masood Iqbal, accusing them of using abusive language against him and the apex court in their written statements. Both Mr Janjua and Mr Iqbal later tendered unconditional apologies, attributing the language to negligence.

The apex court was scheduled to hear the contempt case on Tuesday (today).

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2024