Reassignments: Govt to submit reply on maintainability

AFMS employees challenged closure of store, reallocation to CMHs

RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court on Monday directed a federal government lawyer to file written comments in a petition challenging the mass transfer of civilian employees in the army and the disbanding of an Armed Forces Medical Stores depot.

Justice Ahmed Naeem of the LHC Rawalpindi bench expressed his annoyance over the lack of a response from the ministry of defense as the petition had originally been filed in April 2015 and the high court had already issued notices to the respondents.

Justice Naeem directed Kinzus Saadat, the standing counsel for federal government, to submit a written reply to the petition filed by three civilian employees of the stores and put off the hearing till December 1.

In her arguments before the court, the standing counsel argued that in the eye of law, the petition was not maintainable. She urged the court to dismiss the petition.

The judge, however, asked the standing counsel to file her arguments in writing before the court.

Citing secretary ministry of defense, director general procurement ministry of defense, financial adviser production and procurement ministry of defense, and director general of medial directorate GHQ as respondents, Shahid Mahmood Khattak, Mushtaq Ahmed, and Ali Haider had filed the petition against their transfers from Nowshehra medicines depot to different combined military hospitals (CMHs) and disbanding of two depots.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2016.