K-P special secretary’s appointment challenged in PHC

NA, K-P speakers made respondents

PESHAWAR: The appointment of a special secretary, who is supposed to assist the provincial assembly speaker, has been challenged in court.

A petition filed by lawyer Ali Azim Afridi in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) contended that the post of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) special secretary had been created for only six months to assist the speaker.

However, it was then permanently absorbed in the assembly secretariat in violation of orders from the apex court.

“The gravamen originates from notification(s) dated December 27, 2013, and December 15, 2014, issued by the then-K-P assembly speaker Asad Qaiser. Absorbing its service in the assembly secretariat disregard the judgment(s) of the Supreme Court of Pakistan,” Afridi contended.

The lawyer added the post of the special secretary to the speaker had been approved by the finance committee and Syed Waqar Shah had been brought to the assembly on a deputation basis.

Before being transferred to the K-P Assembly, Shah had been working as a senior flight services officer in the Pakistan International Airlines.

“This act [absorbing the post into the K-P assembly secretariat] shows purported omission on the part former speaker and now by the present speaker,” Afridi argued.

The petitioner urged the court to allow contempt of court proceedings against the incumbent speakers of the K-P and National Assembly for introducing an "illegal appointee" in violation of the judgments of the apex court.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2018.