Questionable absorptions: SC summons records of officials in govt service
Hundreds of officers brought into Sindh government’s lucrative positions were sent back but a dozen were retained.
KARACHI:
A bench of the Supreme Court on Friday summoned all details about a dozen officials who were working on deputation with the Sindh government and were later absorbed under a new law providing a niche for such absorption.
The bench comprising Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani and Justice Gulzar Ahmed was hearing a suo motu case about transfers and postings into the Sindh government which was declared illegal by an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry about two years back. The violation of apex court judgment came to the knowledge of superior court judges during hearing of a case pertaining to a building collapse in Sukkur. The official concerned from Sindh Building Control Authority spilled the beans and said that he was recently posted on deputation against a technical post for which he is not qualified. The bench noted that his posting was in violation of the orders passed by the apex court bench and hence suo motu proceedings were initiated.
During the hearing and as a result of orders passed by different benches of the Sindh High Court, hundreds of officers brought into Sindh government’s lucrative positions were sent back but a dozen the blue eyed and others having right political connections were retained by the Sindh government on the ground of “extreme necessity.”
Many of these retained people did not qualify for the posts against which they were absorbed.
The bench adjourned further proceedings till next session when it will examine each case separately.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 9th, 2012.
A bench of the Supreme Court on Friday summoned all details about a dozen officials who were working on deputation with the Sindh government and were later absorbed under a new law providing a niche for such absorption.
The bench comprising Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani and Justice Gulzar Ahmed was hearing a suo motu case about transfers and postings into the Sindh government which was declared illegal by an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry about two years back. The violation of apex court judgment came to the knowledge of superior court judges during hearing of a case pertaining to a building collapse in Sukkur. The official concerned from Sindh Building Control Authority spilled the beans and said that he was recently posted on deputation against a technical post for which he is not qualified. The bench noted that his posting was in violation of the orders passed by the apex court bench and hence suo motu proceedings were initiated.
During the hearing and as a result of orders passed by different benches of the Sindh High Court, hundreds of officers brought into Sindh government’s lucrative positions were sent back but a dozen the blue eyed and others having right political connections were retained by the Sindh government on the ground of “extreme necessity.”
Many of these retained people did not qualify for the posts against which they were absorbed.
The bench adjourned further proceedings till next session when it will examine each case separately.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 9th, 2012.