Illegal’ Appointments: SHC seeks explanation from port

KARACHI: The Karachi Port Trust chairman and the ports and shipping secretary have been served court notices over appointing daily wagers as permanent employees at the port.

The petition relates to the regularisation of 170 daily waged employees to permanent posts reserved under the “son quota” in the Karachi port’s security and cargo handling departments. Muhammad Shahid along with 28 other candidates had moved the high court on being refused jobs under the quota.

They had applied for permanent posts reserved under the quota after an advertisement inviting applications for fresh appointments in port security force and cargo men appeared in May.

The port administration, however, appointed staff on a daily-wage basis to these permanent posts, of which 170 were now being regularised. This will deprive the deserving of their right to get jobs, which are secured under the son quota system, the petitioners stated. They appealed to the court to declare the regularisation of daily wagers illegal and order the respondents to appoint deserving candidates. The respondents were directed to file their comments by September 24.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2012.