SC bans use of word ‘Sahib’ with offices of high-ranking govt employees

The Supreme Court has banned the use of word ‘Sahib’ with the offices of high-ranking government employees, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

According to the written verdict issued on Tuesday, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa issued the directive while hearing a petition filed by an accused for his bail in a murder case of a nine-year-old boy in Peshawar.

At the outset of the hearing, when the additional advocate general used the word ‘Sahib’ while mentioning the DSP, the chief justice got annoyed and remarked that people should stop using word ‘Sahib’ with the office of a government official.

“If the word Sahib is attached to a government officer, he considers himself above the accountability. This practice should come to an end. It’s inappropriate that a person who is drawing his salary from public money is called Sahib,” the chief justice observed.

CJP Isa was also irked by the poor investigation of the case by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police remarking that the police failed to determine who was responsible for the child’s death. This is the classic case of poor investigation, he added. 

Later, the court accepted the bail application of the accused in the case.

Accused Javed Khan was nominated in a murder case of 9-year-old Hamza in Peshawar.

Reporter Amanat Gishkori