Supreme Court of Pakistan. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Instead of promoting permanent officers, the Supreme Court has hired five bureaucrats on deputation to fill up senior positions in the apex court’s administration, including the post of registrar.
Some of the permanent employees revealed to The Express Tribune that the move has made them anxious about their career growth, as well as question why the court hired ‘outsiders’ instead of appointing from among those in the eligible pool.
“Now where is the independence of the judiciary? Why are we being deprived of our career?” a senior officer lamented. “If we are incompetent, the administration needs to make arrangements for improving the capability of permanent employees.”
Recently, the Supreme Court hired 21-grade officer Tahir Shahbaz as the top court’s registrar. Hamid Ali, a grade-19 officer, has been appointed the secretary to the chief justice of Pakistan, which is a grade-20 post.
The service of Izzat Jahan Aqdus, a BPS-19 officer of the Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service (PA&AS) has also been hired as deputy registrar – a BPS-20 post.
Likewise, District and Sessions Judge Khalid Tippu is already working as the human rights cells director-general on a deputation basis. Additional District and Sessions Judge Saadia Arshad is also working as the director of the human rights cell, which is a grade-20 position.
On the other hand, BPS-21 officer Muhammad Ali is already working on a permanent basis as the apex court’s additional registrar, who was not given a chance. Four BPS-20 officers already working for the SC administration, namely Khalid Nasim, Zubair Sabir, Afzaal Ahmad, Khalid Mahmood and Iftikhar Ahmad, are also eligible, but were ‘ignored’ by the SC administration.
“Eighteen BPS-19 officers are working in the Supreme Court. Out of them 12 are assistant registrars, four research officers, one public relations officer (PRO) and one is working in the HR cell”, officials said, explaining that experienced personnel in the judiciary’s bureaucracy are available, yet ‘outsiders’ were brought in.
Most of these BPS-19 officers have experience of more than five years, but they have been passed over for the appointment on key posts, they added.
These permanent employees also complain that they are unhappy over the behaviour of the newly appointed secretary to the Chief Justice, who is “audaciously” giving instructions to officers above from his rank.
Similarly, representatives of superior bars have also objected to the hiring of officials on deputation especially Supreme Court’s registrar. Pakistan Bar Council vice chairman Ramzan Chaudhry told The Express Tribune that the post of SC registrar is very sensitive and therefore, it would have been better if the service of any high court or lower judiciary’s judge was hired for this post – as it has been done in the past.
Supreme Court Bar Association president Kamran Murtaza also contended that the appointment of new officers on contractual basis is against the Supreme Court’s rules and it deprives permanent employees of their rights. “How can you redress people’s grievances when your own employees are being deprived from their rights?”
No service promotion for FJA employees
Employees of the Federal Judicial Academy are also being deprived of their service promotion because no service rules exist for academy officials.
On October 6, 2010, around 62 employees of the academy had written a letter to then chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, complaining that there are no rules for their promotion to the next grade.
In a five-page letter to the FJA chairman, they had requested the CJP that service rules for the employees should be framed with the setting up of a promotion channel.
Despite the CJP’s directive, the FJA’s administration has failed to finalise service rules for academy’s employees.
Officials also claimed that FJA director-general Pervaiz Ali Chawla (a grade-22 officier) has been working on a contract since October 28, 2009.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2014.
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Recently one Mrs Izzat Jahan a beaurucrat originally in B-19 and on deputation in B-20 in Supreme Court has been given acting charge of Secretary to the Chief Justice of Pakistan in B-21. The lady has been first notified as senior research officer although she does not have any law degree or research experience. The eligible permanent employees have been ignored. The three beaurucrats including registrar , secretary to chief justice and acting secretary are enjoying lucrative posts and looting funds of sc with both hands.