Apex court summons FIA, anti-corruption in disabled job quota case

Petitioner says a person with low levels of hearing had been deemed more deserving of quota

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday summoned members of the anti-corruption establishment and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to court to probe allegedly the unlawful recruitment on quotas originally meant for persons with disabilities.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Azmat Saeed decided that action would be taken against all individuals found facilitating undeserving people acquire jobs meant for disabled persons.

During the course of proceedings, the petitioner said that a person with low levels of hearing had been deemed more deserving of the quota than someone who suffered far more restrictive disabilities.

The petitioner also told the bench that a man who claimed he had "a weak leg" had likewise been given employment at the National Assembly Secretariat, and a number of people with similarly flimsy claims had been unjustly employed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa.

"If people who actually deserve these positions complain about being left out, they are forced to knock door-to-door" the petitioner regretted.

Justice Saeed remarked, "It looks like all the work [being done by state departments] is fake. Meritless employment on the differently-abled quota is a crime. The impression [we are getting] is that these inductions were not done on the basis of merit. Why not send these cases to the National Accountability Bureau."

The government's prosecutors, however, opposed the decision, saying that they would appreciate it if any neglect in following the rules was pointed out to them instead.

To this, the petitioner retorted that whenever someone's employment under the quota is challenged, "we are given threats."

"Government officials have no fear of the law; the government thinks there is no one standing behind the common man," Justice Saeed remarked.

The court subsequently ordered the issuance of summons to FIA and anti-corruption officials.

The proceedings were adjourned till June 20.