Supreme Court retains Registrar’s contract

CJ allows Dr Faqir Hussain to continue "in the best interest of the institution".

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has allowed Dr Faqir Hussain to continue as the Supreme Court Registrar on a contract basis “in the best interest of the institution.” He added that Hussain’s continuation was not blocking the promotion of any other officer.

According to a press statement issued on Sunday, the re-employment of Hussain was found in compliance with the instructions contained in Rule 14(1) of the Civil Servants Act, 1973, and was in public as well as institutional interest.

The Supreme Court while hearing a suo motu case recently directed the establishment division secretary and the chief secretaries of the provinces to ensure that the case of any civil servant or other persons who have been re-employed will also be examined in terms of the provision of law.

The cases of three officers – the incumbent Registrar and two Deputy Registrars – who have been re-employed or employed on contractual basis in the court were reviewed.

It was noticed that two De­puty Registrars – Arjan Ram K Talreja, at the Branch Registry in Karachi and Pervez Ahmed at the Branch Registry in Lahore – were working on contractual basis.

When the two Deputy Regis­trars were offered the contract, no one was eligible for such a promotion. However, after the SC’s judgment, their cases have been reviewed and it has been noticed that due to their contractual employment, the promotional prospects of the eligible Assistant Registrars, who otherwise qualify to be considered for promotion as Deputy Registrars, are apparently blocked.

The press statement said in the third case, the re-employment of Hussain on contractual basis as Registrar of the Supreme Court for two years does not create any obstacle for other officers of the SC; therefore, no rectification is required.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st,  2011.