IHC halts inductions in ICT police from provinces

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday issued a restraining order against recruitments from other provinces in the federal police in a case challenging the recruitments. The court said that the recruitment process in the police should continue, but recruitments should not be made on the 50% quota for other provinces in the federal police until the decision of the case.

The court could announce the verdict on the recruitment of successful candidates who have domicile of Islamabad.

The court issued notices to the parties and sought their response, while directing the Attorney General and Advocate General Islamabad to assist on September 23.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani issued a written order on the petition of Barrister Yawar Gardezi, which states that according to the petitioner, Article 25 of the Constitution talks about equality, while the Supreme Court has repeatedly declared Islamabad as a federal unit, and the Constitution also recognises Islamabad’s separate status as a federal unit. Citizens of other provinces have the right to work in their own province, similarly, the citizens of Islamabad also have the right to employment in Islamabad.

The lawyer requested that the quota for other provinces in the recruitment of institutions in Islamabad Capital Territory is illegal and should be abolished. The petition urged that the quota for other provinces in grade 1 to 15 recruitments under Civil Servants Rules 15 and 16 in federal institutions within Islamabad should be abolished. In federal government institutions whose jurisdiction is across the country, Islamabad’s quota should be allocated in grade 16 to 22 vacancies, while the quota for other provinces in Islamabad Police and Islamabad District Judiciary should be abolished, the petitioner further pleaded.