Police drivers approach LHC for promotion

MTW’s 34 employees not promoted since 2013

LAHORE: As many as 34 drivers of Punjab Police’s Motor Transport Wing (MTW) have approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) over not having been promoted since 2013.

The petition was filed through Advocate Syed Ali Tahir Naqvi.

The petitioners contended the MTW had two main cadres: mechanics and drivers. The employees of the MTW had eligibility to be promoted on the basis of the seniority and fitness. On December 23, 2013, eight employees were promoted.

Since 2013, no promotion was given to drivers, but mechanic staff had been promoted thrice on December 13, 2019, February 10, 2020 and March 9, which the complainants claimed was a discriminatory act of the respondents.

The petitioners said they had submitted an application to the Punjab inspector general of police (IGP) but he had refused to accept it. The IGP contended that according to a standing order of January 6, 2016, which was amended on July 13, 2017, the petitioners were not eligible for promotion.

The counsel contended that the petitioners were deprived of their legal and constitutional right of promotion as they were eligible as per their seniority-cum-fitness condition.

He argued that the board constituted by the IGP had been established in 2016 but the petitioners had been appointed before that and had served the department for many years with commitment.

The counsel added that some of the petitioners will be completing their service in the near future but they had not been promoted since their appointment, which was very unfortunate.

They prayed the court to issue directives to promote them as per their seniority-cum-fitness like the promotions granted to their colleagues.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2020.