Pakistan: Lahore High Court admits petition against PIA privatisation
- In Reports
- 10:57 AM, Jun 29, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Lahore High Court's (LHC) Rawalpindi bench admitted a petition challenging the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines. The court has requested a response from the top law officer to address the questions raised in the plea, Dawn reported.
Justice Jawad Hassan issued the order on Friday in response to a pro bono petition challenging the procedure used to privatise Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). He also expressed his intention to review the law introduced by the previous caretaker government, which established an appellate tribunal for privatisation disputes.
The petition argued that the caretaker government initiated the sale of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) without properly evaluating its foreign and local assets, as mandated by the Privatisation Commission Ordinance, 2000. The petitioner claimed that the requirements outlined in Section 23 of the Ordinance were not met.
When the judge questioned the maintainability of the plea, the petitioner's counsel argued that the privatisation process ignored principles established by the Supreme Court, and asserted that the bench had the authority to hear the case.
Justice Hassan cited a judgement by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah in the case "Arshad Waheed versus Province of Punjab and others," which detailed the High Court's powers in such matters, according to Dawn's report.
Justice Hassan stated that under Article 199 of the Constitution, the high court is authorised to scrutinise administrative actions for violations of law and breaches of the Constitution. He further noted that the principle of judicial review is guided by the doctrine of judicial restraint. "Judicial restraint encourages judges to exercise their powers judiciously and with prudence, limiting intervention in matters concerning the policies of statutory bodies or boards with financial implications," he remarked.
According to Dawn, the petitioner's counsel argued that their client is challenging PIA's privatisation process solely because the mandatory advertisement requirement specified in Section 23 of the Privatisation Commission Ordinance, 2000, has not been met.
Image source: ANI
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