SHC orders appointment of HESCO chief within a week

The retired chief continues to hold the post after he was given an interim extension

HYDERABAD: The Sindh High Court (SHC) gave a week's time to the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) for appointment of the latter's chief executive.

Akhtar Ali Randhawa, the Hesco chief who retired on May 24, continues to occupy the post after he was given a temporary extension by the company's board of directors following a nod from Wapda authorities. The court gave its order while hearing three identical petitions filed separately by a sub-divisional officer of Hesco, Imran Shaikh, a representative of Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Abdul Sattar, and a resident of Umerkot, Rashid Qaimkhani.

Wapda's prosecutor informed the bench that the post for the chief executive of Hesco will be advertised soon followed by hiring of an official. Advocate Soulat Rizvi, the counsel for Shaikh, argued that the extension was a violation of the Supreme Court's order against hiring of retired employees on permanent posts.

He also gave reference of a June, 2013, order issued by Wapda, which disapproved extension to any official who attained the age of superannuation. The order went on to even invalidate an extension approved by the board of directors. The SHC will resume hearing of the case on June 22.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2016.