No work permit to Arbab and Co: LHC issues Sheikhupura DCO’s arrest warrant

* Stops Tariq Najeeb Najmi from working, recommends transfer
* Najmi accused of not issuing work permit to company
* DCO moves intra-court appeal, says company awarded contract on favour

Staff Report

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhry on Wednesday issued the arrest warrants of Tariq Najeeb Najmi, the Sheikhupura district coordination officer (DCO) and asked the district police officer to ensure his production in court today (Thursday).

The chief justice also restrained Mr Najmi from holding his office till further orders. Justice Chaudhry passed these orders on a writ petition from a construction company, Arbab & Company, seeking action against the DCO as contemnor for disobeying court orders.

The petitioner company told the court that the DCO was unlawfully interfering in the Sheikhupura district developmental schemes and was not issuing work orders despite the company had been a successful bidder.

The chief justice disposed of the petition with directions to the DCO to issue a work permit to the firm. He also recommended the chief secretary, through the office of the Punjab advocate general, to replace the DCO immediately.

The DCO has moved an intra-court appeal against the orders and recommendation of the chief justice. Taking up his appeal, an LHC division bench on Wednesday issued pre-admission notices and called for replies form the Sheikhupura district nazim and Arbab & Company.

The DCO told the court that according to rules, the petitioner company could not have been awarded a contract worth more than Rs 5 million. He said that in the said case, the Rs 15 million project was divided into four sections. He said that the contract of each section had been awarded to the said company thus making a total of Rs 15 million and the company was not eligible to undertake it.

The DCO said the project was divided into four sections in order to award the contract to a favoured company, which was “unfair”.

The DCO said that courts had no jurisdiction to intervene in the government’s administrative and policy matters, therefore the earlier orders of the chief justice’s court should be declared void.

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