ISLAMABAD: Customs Appellate Tribunal functionality still in doldrums as the newly appointed chairman Justice (r) Manzoor Hussain has not taken charge of the office here on Monday.
Justice (r) Manzoor Hussain, who was supposed to join office yesterday (Monday), did not reach the office and now he was expected to join the office in a couple of days.
The tribunal officials, unclear about his arrival, were informed by the chairman that he would not come to the office to take charge.
However, officials of the tribunal were expecting him to come in next couple of days with the decision of his application to ab appointed as Member Election Commission, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Therein they added that he would only join tribunal if his application for provincial high post got rejected.
It is pertinent to mention that Ministry of Law and Justice had issued notification of appointment of Justice (R) Manzoor Hussain as chairman of Customs Appellate Tribunal on Wednesday. Notification of appointing Justice (retd) Manzoor Hussain as chairman of Customs Appellate Tribunal was issued following the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif approved the summary report of employing Hussain as chairman of Tribunal.
The notification further stated: “The government appoints Mr Justice (retd) Maznoor Hussain as judicial Member-cum-Chairman, Customs appellate Tribunal, Bench-I, Islamabad on contract basis on standard terms and conditions for a period of two years or until further orders, whichever is earlier, with effect from the date of assumption of charge”.
Justice (r) Manzoor Malik had earlier served as Justice of Peshawar High Court. He got retired from provincial apex court during May, 2015. Justice Hussain retired after serving at the high court for nearly 25 months. Therefore, he was considered a strong candidate for the post of provincial election commission member too.