SC asks Sindh govt to appoint officers on merit

Officers who have failed competitive exams will be removed

ISLAMABAD: The top court has directed the secretary local government, Sindh, to ensure that officers are appointed on merit, adding that those who have not passed the competitive exams should either be removed or sent to their parent departments.

The secretaries of irrigation and the local bodies told a three-judge bench, headed by Justice Ameer Hani Muslim, that in compliance of the apex court order all the officers, who did not fulfill the criteria, were removed or sent to their parent departments.

The bench was hearing the service matters of the Sindh local government, irrigation and police departments.

Justice Hani told the secretaries that if their statements were found incorrect, contempt proceeding would be initiated against them.

Secretary local government told the court that Razaullah, administrative officer in LB Sindh, had been removed, while Sajjad Hussain Memon and Abdur Rasheed would be de-notified today (Tuesday). Afaq Saeed, he added, had taken stay order from the Sindh High Court against his removal.

Similarly, the irrigation sectary said that there were 37 officers, but now all have been either sent to their parent departments or de-notified.

Regarding contempt notice against IGP Sindh, the advocate general Sindh said that Pakistan was in a state of war and the police in the province were fighting the terrorists. He requested the court to defer the framing of charges.

Justice Ameer Hani said the IGP Ghulam Haider Jamali was not indispensable and above the law.

The court deferred framing of contempt charges against the IGP when his counsel Irfan Qadir told that an appeal against the December 9, 2015 order had been filed in the Karachi registry on 29th January, 2016.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2016.