Law and order: Wardens seek PHC’s help to be promoted

Four policemen return to work after being fired for negligence

PESHAWAR: A divisional bench of Peshawar High Court sought a reply from the provincial government on Monday regarding the promotion of wardens in prisons across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The decision came after a case filed by Abdul Samad Baig and others through their counsel Qazi Jawwad Ihsanullah.

The bench comprising Justice Irshad Qaiser and Justice Mussarat Hilali were informed the provincial government issued a notification on June 30 regarding upgradation of employees from BPS 1 to 16 across the province.

Ihsanullah argued the petitioners were ignored in the process and when they contacted the finance department, they were told the wardens were already given prison allowance along with Rs1,000 to buy ration. He said there was no truth in the finance department’s statement as prison employees were receiving only 40% of the promised allowances which happens to be a very “meagre” amount, he said.

“Besides, salaries of employees in prisons have not been raised in the last five years. This is discrimination,” Ihsanullah argued.

He asked the bench to issue orders to upgrade the applicants and promote them to the next grade. The bench after hearing arguments sought replies from provincial chief secretary, secretary for finance department and secretary home.

Restored

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Services Tribunal restored four cops of Dir police on Monday. These policemen had been terminated from service. The tribunal, comprising judges Pir Bakhsh Khan and Abdul Latif Khan, was hearing an application filed by Inayatur Rahman, Akbar Khan, Noor Hayat and Shakir Hussain. Ziaur Rahman was their representing counsel.

Rahman argued his clients were sacked for negligence at an event where explosives were planted inside a bathroom at Osakai police post on December 7, 2012. The tribunal was told the explosives were defused but when the senior police officials learnt about the alleged negligence of the applicants, they were terminated from service.

He argued his clients were neither given chance to defend themselves nor justice as no enquiry was conducted to establish charges against his clients. He appealed to the bench to restore his clients. The terminated cops were then taken back at their original posts.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2015.