Caretaker PM withdraws transfers of senior bureaucrats

The SC had issued contempt of court notices to the caretaker PM for transfers in violation of judgments.

ISLAMABAD:  Caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that he had withdrawn all the orders about transfers and postings of as many 20 senior bureaucrats.

A three-judge bench of the SC had issued contempt of court notices to the caretaker PM, his personal secretary and establishment secretary for making transfers in violation of judgments of the apex court in this regard.

“Indeed Election Commission’s orders dated April 2 were the root cause and origin of issuance of these orders which led this court to contemplate action in this case. The answering respondent PM regrets having issued them most inadvertently and with no intention to cause offence either by design or even remotely”, contained the written reply filed by the PM through his lawyer Arif Chaudhry.

The interim PM in his response stated that he held the SC in high respect and his decision to withdraw transfer and posting orders was evidence of the fact.

The bench headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and comprising of Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Ejaz Afzal will take up the case on June 6.

Last Friday, Khawaja Sidiqe Akbar as principal secretary to the caretaker PM submitted his written response and stated that all postings and transfers made after elections were due to reports and summaries received from the ministries concerned, highlighting and underscoring need for change of incumbents either for inefficiency, incompetence or on grounds of unsuitability.