Due process: Report sought on power sector hiring

Chief justice upholds Gepco judgment.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court has directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to submit a report on an order issued by Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) managing director to fill vacancies in distribution companies through walk-in-interviews.

Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial passed the order while disposing of intra-court appeals by Pepco and others, against an LHC bench ruling striking down the order.

On October 15, 2009, Pepco had allowed for recruitment Fesco and Gepco through walk-in-interview of candidates.

However, a single bench of the LHC on July 15, 2010 struck down the procedure. Later, Pepco and distribution companies filed an appeal against the ruling.

Gepco’s appeal was decided by another division bench on June 26, 2012. The ruling was reported as Gepco judgment in Pakistan Legal Decisions (PLD) 2013.

The judgment upheld the view of the single bench.

The division bench had ruled that the order issued by the Pepco violated its notified recruitment rules.

On Friday, the chief justice, too, upheld the decision passed by the single bench against the recruitment procedure.

“Consistent with the Gepco judgment, a direction is issued that the cause and the reasons for the impugned order (dated Oct 15, 2009) issued by the Pepco MD be inquired and scrutinsed by the NAB in terms set out in the Gepco judgment,” Chief Justice Bandial said in the verdict.

He also directed the Fesco to provide reasons in one month for not allowing five candidates appointed in the re-selection process in light of the Gepco judgment to take charge.

“In case the reasons are not supplied or such reasons are defective in law, the said candidates may approach the court,” the verdict added.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2014.