Irregular appointments: IHC top judge terminates brother among 16 officers
Sends nine deputationists back to their parent departments
The Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) in its report submitted before the SC had stated that all the appointments in the IHC, whether through fresh recruitment or on deputation, had been made in violation of rules and criteria. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Islamabad High Court’s chief justice on Wednesday was “pleased” to de-notify and fire his brother, Muhammad Idrees Kasi, as the deputy registrar of the court due to his irregular appointment.
Islamabad High Court (IHC) CJ Mohammad Anwar Kasi, through the court’s registrar, Atiqur Rehman, issued notifications on Wednesday de-notifying nine officers deputed to the court while 16 others who had been appointed illegally were terminated “with immediate effect”.
The notifications were issued just two days after the Supreme Court had passed an order on September 26 annulling 74 appointments in the IHC, observing that the IHC’s then top judge and administration panel had disregarded their mandate in making these hirings.
The apex court had ordered de-notification of all recruitments made in the IHC from 2011 to 2102 and many believe that the landmark verdict may change the course of future appointments, deputation, absorption and re-appointments to the high courts.
In the notifications issued on Wednesday, the IHC terminated three BPS-19 grade, six BPS-18 grade, two BPS-17 grade, three BPS-14 grade and two grade nine officials.
Apart from Idrees Kasi, deputy registrar, Faiz Rasool, research and reference officer Usman Quddus, five assistant registrars – Ghawas Gul Mastoi, Muhammad Kashif, Muhammad Sufyan, Zaid Ahmed Barakzai and Mirza Abid Baig – treasury officer Muhamamd Asim Hafeez, assistant account officer Waheed Nawaz, personal assistant Faiza Mir, three assistants, Abid Ashraf, Muhammad Hamid Hafeez and Beenish Butt, two grade nine officials Haider Ali and Mudassar Alam, have been terminated.
Three officials who were serving as additional registrars in BPS-20 grade including Umar Draz Shakir, Shahzada Aslam, and Shakeel Ahmed Qazi along with deputy registrar serving in BPS- 19 grade Imtiaz Ahmed, assistant registrar serving in BPS-18 Muhammad Usman Mir, private secretary (BPS-18) Muhammad Naveed Qaiser, assistant accountants (BPS-17) Amir Abdul Majeed, and a data processing officer (BPS-17) Shakeel Raza have been sent back to their respective parent departments.
Interestingly, the IHC notification states that Mir would be repatriated to Allied Bank Limited, Majeed to University of Punjab and Raza to the Balochistan Provincial Assembly Secretariat in Quetta.
“These officials can not take refuge under the IHC notification as it not only carries instructions of repatriation but mentions their parent departments as well,” commented a senior lawyer who did not wish to be named.
The remaining officials will be sent back to Lahore High Court and the Sindh High Court. The court also de-notified and reverted Sabir Hussain from the BPS-18 post of private secretary to the BPS-17 post of personal assistant. Hussain had initially been appointed as a personal assistant but had been promoted to a private secretary.
The Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) in its report submitted before the SC had stated that all the appointments in the IHC, whether through fresh recruitment or on deputation, had been made in violation of rules and criteria.
During the scrutiny of personnel files, the auditors had observed that “not a single appointment had been made on merit.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2016.
Islamabad High Court’s chief justice on Wednesday was “pleased” to de-notify and fire his brother, Muhammad Idrees Kasi, as the deputy registrar of the court due to his irregular appointment.
Islamabad High Court (IHC) CJ Mohammad Anwar Kasi, through the court’s registrar, Atiqur Rehman, issued notifications on Wednesday de-notifying nine officers deputed to the court while 16 others who had been appointed illegally were terminated “with immediate effect”.
The notifications were issued just two days after the Supreme Court had passed an order on September 26 annulling 74 appointments in the IHC, observing that the IHC’s then top judge and administration panel had disregarded their mandate in making these hirings.
The apex court had ordered de-notification of all recruitments made in the IHC from 2011 to 2102 and many believe that the landmark verdict may change the course of future appointments, deputation, absorption and re-appointments to the high courts.
In the notifications issued on Wednesday, the IHC terminated three BPS-19 grade, six BPS-18 grade, two BPS-17 grade, three BPS-14 grade and two grade nine officials.
Apart from Idrees Kasi, deputy registrar, Faiz Rasool, research and reference officer Usman Quddus, five assistant registrars – Ghawas Gul Mastoi, Muhammad Kashif, Muhammad Sufyan, Zaid Ahmed Barakzai and Mirza Abid Baig – treasury officer Muhamamd Asim Hafeez, assistant account officer Waheed Nawaz, personal assistant Faiza Mir, three assistants, Abid Ashraf, Muhammad Hamid Hafeez and Beenish Butt, two grade nine officials Haider Ali and Mudassar Alam, have been terminated.
Three officials who were serving as additional registrars in BPS-20 grade including Umar Draz Shakir, Shahzada Aslam, and Shakeel Ahmed Qazi along with deputy registrar serving in BPS- 19 grade Imtiaz Ahmed, assistant registrar serving in BPS-18 Muhammad Usman Mir, private secretary (BPS-18) Muhammad Naveed Qaiser, assistant accountants (BPS-17) Amir Abdul Majeed, and a data processing officer (BPS-17) Shakeel Raza have been sent back to their respective parent departments.
Interestingly, the IHC notification states that Mir would be repatriated to Allied Bank Limited, Majeed to University of Punjab and Raza to the Balochistan Provincial Assembly Secretariat in Quetta.
“These officials can not take refuge under the IHC notification as it not only carries instructions of repatriation but mentions their parent departments as well,” commented a senior lawyer who did not wish to be named.
The remaining officials will be sent back to Lahore High Court and the Sindh High Court. The court also de-notified and reverted Sabir Hussain from the BPS-18 post of private secretary to the BPS-17 post of personal assistant. Hussain had initially been appointed as a personal assistant but had been promoted to a private secretary.
The Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) in its report submitted before the SC had stated that all the appointments in the IHC, whether through fresh recruitment or on deputation, had been made in violation of rules and criteria.
During the scrutiny of personnel files, the auditors had observed that “not a single appointment had been made on merit.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2016.