LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday sought an answer from the Punjab government next week on the appeal of Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi against his removal as the chairman of Muttahida Ulema Board Punjab.
During the hearing of the case, the court rejected Tahir Ashrafi’s request to immediately issue stay order on his appeal.
“There is no room in the law to remove the chairman of Ulama board after appointment until the term is completed,” counsel for the petitioner argued before the court. “It has not been mentioned even in the notification of new appointment that under which law the change was made,” he added.
At this, the court asked the lawyer of the Punjab government to explain by next week under which law the new appointment is made.
Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi had made Punjab government, chief secretary, Auqaf Department and Sahibzada Hamid Raza respondents in his petition. He, in his petition, stated that he had been reappointed as the chairman of Muttahida Ulema Board Punjab on March 31, 2022 for three years. He maintained that the Auqaf secretary unjustly issued a notification to remove him from the post, adding that there was not a single complaint on record against him.
He also stated that the Auqaf Department and others had no discretionary power to remove the chairman from the post. “The re-establishment of Muttahida Ulema Board Punjab on the direction of the Punjab chief minister was also against the requirements of justice,” he added.
The court was told that Tahir Ashrafi had been deprived of his constitutional rights by being removed from the post of chairman. It was also requested to annul the notification of Tahir Ashrafi’s removal, declaring it illegal.
