ISLAMABAD: Like the last PPP government, the Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N government has also started challenging the Supreme Court’s decisions but in its own fashion.

The removal of PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf after his recent reinstatement by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) is the latest manoeuvre of the prime minister to outsmart a court judgment. This is the latest show of bad governance by the PML-N government, which had promised to uphold merit and rule of law.

Earlier, he had done the same to get Shujaat Azim as his special assistant on PIA. Former Nadra Chairman Tariq Malik and Chairman Pemra Chaudhry Rashid, both of whom were reinstated by the IHC after their removal by the government, had to leave their offices. Tariq Malik was made to resign whereas Chaudhry Rashid faced a coup from inside Pemra and was made to sit at home without retiring or having been sacked.

Pakistan cricket was again made a laughing stock in the whole world on Monday when the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his role as patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) amended the rules and chose a select group of voters to pave the way for Zaka Ashraf’s ouster and get his favourite Najam Sethi back as the country’s cricket chief.

Within a few hours of this amendment by the prime minister, everything turned topsy turvy in the PCB. For Zaka it was a cloak and dagger style operation but for Sethi he was selected on merit.

Earlier, almost six months after the resignation of Shujaat Azeem as Adviser to the PM on Aviation, the government re-appointed him at the helm of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) with just a minor change in the nomenclature, the displeasure of the Supreme Court on his earlier appointment notwithstanding.

Shujaat was appointed as Special Assistant to the PM on Civil Aviation. Shujaat had resigned on July 25, 2013 after a three-judge bench headed by the then Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had summoned him to explain why in the light of articles 93(1,2) and 63 of the constitution, he was occupying the sensitive post when he had been court-martialed and was a dual national.

Informing the Supreme Court about Shujaat’s decision to resign, the then Attorney General Muneer A Malik had confirmed that the adviser held the Canadian citizenship and he was also court-martialed on four “minor” charges. Within weeks after the departure of former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Shujaat Azeem is back in the government as Special Assistant to the PM.

Two appointees of the previous government, Chairman Pemra Chaudhry Rashid and Chairman Nadra Tariq Malik, were removed by the prime minister because of their questionable appointment. However, both the officers were reinstated by the IHC.

But later Tariq Malik was made to resign whereas Chaudhry Rashid was technically stripped off his powers through Pemra Committee.Legally Rashid continues to be the Chairman of Pemra but his powers are now exercised by a committee of three.

The government might have some strong reasons to remove the likes of Zaka Ashraf, Tariq Malik and Chaudhry Rashid or to appoint Shujaat Azeem. However, the rule of law demands that the court decisions must be respected.

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