‘Rightful’ promotion: Court seeks comments from FPSC chairperson

Former president's brother-in-law claims being denied promotion

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court sought on Wednesday comments from the Federal Public Service Commission and establishment secretary on a petition challenging the alleged denial of promotion to the brother-in-law of former president Asif Ali Zardari.

Headed by Justice Munib Akhtar, the division bench directed the deputy attorney general to file the authorities' comments by the next hearing.

The petition was filed by Dr Fazlullah Pechuho, currently serving as secretary of the Sindh education and literacy department. He had taken to court the Establishment Division secretary, FPSC's central selection board (CSB) chairperson, and 20 other officers who were promoted to Basic Pay Scale (BPS)-21.



The petitioner said he had joined the civil service on October 22, 1985. During this period, Pechuho mentioned he had served at various federal posts, including director finance of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, among others.

Pechuho maintained that due to his unblemished service record, the CSB had, in its meetings held in February 2013, recommended his promotion from grade-20 to grade-21.

The court was informed that another officer, Oriya Maqbool Abbasi, had, however, challenged such promotions in the Supreme Court (SC), which on October 3, 2013, set aside the elevation of 81 officers, including Pechuho.

The petitioner's counsel, MM Aqil Awan, recalled that the apex court was impressed by the authorities' step of increasing vacancies to accommodate most junior officers. Subsequently, the Establishment Division de-notified Pechuho from grade-21 and the Sindh government also followed the Centre's move.

The lawyer argued that the SC had observed in its judgment that the CSB will consider his petitioner's case for promotion, and had also clarified that SC's observations in the Orya Maqbool case will not come in the way of Pechuho's promotion. He alleged that as per the SC's observations, the establishment secretary was duty bound to convene a meeting of the CSB to consider the petitioner's elevation twice a year, but only two, out of four due meetings, have been convened.

In the last meeting from July 5 to July 8 this year, the petitioner's promotion was deferred by the CSB, which observed that the "central selection board had recommended for deferment for one year to observe performance from all aspects, including 'integrity'."

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2016.