‘Powerless’ employees seek court’s help

Replies from WAPDA, PEPCO sought.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday issued notices to top of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) officials in response to a petition filed National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NDTC) employees. Around 18 NDTC workers had earlier moved the court against extensions in service and postings of some deputed officials.

Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan directed Wapda, Pepco and NTDC officials not to take any adverse action against the petitioners and sought replies from the respondents before adjourning the case till a date to be decided later.

Petitioners, Muzammal Hussain and 17 others through advocate Raja Saifur Rehman, contended before the court that some Wapda employees have been reemployed either by Pepco or NTDC after reaching retirement age.

Quoting examples, he informed the court that Chief Engineer Operations Shafiq Ahmad Awan got three extensions after his ‘retirement’, while Rana Mohammad Amjad got six extensions.

“This is in clear violation of the Supreme Court judgment. The act led to blocking the promotion of 40 officers, 18 of whom are petitioners in this case,” he added.

While citing a Supreme Court judgment in a similar case, Rehman said the SC observed that ‘no justification should be accepted by the departments to give extensions to employees and block the whole promotion system’.

He maintained that Wapda and PEPCO became two separate entities in 1998 with separate seniority lists for their employees. In this particular case, the juniors of the petitioners from WAPDA were inducted in PEPCO as their seniors.

He prayed the court not to allow reappointment of retired persons and also requested that no employee should be brought by way of transfer against promotion quota posts.

ZTBL president’s appointment

Meanwhile, IHC Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui also sought replies from the cabinet and finance secretaries and top officials of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) in response to a petition filed by All Pakistan ZTBL Officers Association Secretary General Ghazanfar Ali.

Earlier, the petitioner had challenged the appointment of the acting ZTBL president.

The officials made respondents in the case include, ZTBL chairman, ZTBL Chief Operating Officer Roohi Raees Khan, ZTBL Human Resources Senior Vice President Ijaz Akhtar Rao, and the State Bank of Pakistan governor.

Counsel for the petitioner, Barrister Afzal Hussain contended before the court that the post of ZTBL president was vacant since October, 25 2011. This was when the former president left, and Khan was appointed acting president illegally, he said.

Hussain argued that Senior Vice President Rao issued a notification on October 26, 2011 stating the charge of acting president was given to Khan which is illegal.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2012.