Summary sent to PM Shehbaz to review Hanif Abbasi's appointment, court told

• Cabinet Division informs IHC that summary has been sent to PM Shehbaz on court orders.
• Mentions final report will be submitted in IHC after the orders from PM Shehbaz.
• Chief justice Minallah will hear the case on May 17.

ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Division Saturday informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that a summary has been sent to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to review the appointment of PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi as his special assistant.

In line with the court’s notice, Cabinet Division's Deputy Secretary Khurram Ghaznavi submitted an interim report in the IHC stating that a summary has been sent to the prime minister through the Ministry of Law and Justice requesting him to revisit his decision regarding the appointment of Hanif Abbasi.

However, the Cabinet Division also clarified that the report submitted in IHC is an interim report and the final report and section-wise replies will be submitted after the orders from PM Shehbaz.

On May 6, former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed challenged the notification regarding the appointment of PML-N’s Abbasi as SAPM.

According to the petition, Abbasi has been convicted in ephedrine quota case against which an appeal regarding his sentence is pending in the Lahore High Court. The petitioner said that a convicted person cannot be appointed as the SAPM.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah issued a notice to the Cabinet Division directing the premier to review the appointment.

The matter will be discussed further in the next hearing scheduled on May 17.