SHC suspends transfer orders of naval accounts controller

Bench issues notices to defendants to file comments through DAG by August 11.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) suspended the operation of the notification regarding transfer of the controller of naval accounts on Friday.

Jalaluddin Langah took the secretary establishment division, the secretary cabinet, controller-general of accounts and the accountant-general to the court. The plaintiff submitted that he is an officer of grade BPS-20 of the Pakistan Audit and Accounts Services from the inter-departmental cadre, presently serving as controller naval accounts in the Pakistan Military Accounts Department (PMAD) at Karachi. PMAD is a department under the administrative control of the ministry of defence, as is shown in the Schedule II of the Rules of Business.

His lawyer, Haider Waheed, said that the secretaries of the establishment and cabinet have issued notifications dated July 15 and July 16 through which the plaintiff was transferred and directed to report to the Accountant-General of Pakistan at Islamabad with immediate effect.

The plaintiff is, however, still holding the post, as the transfer orders are issued in violation of the Framework of Rules and Procedures Applicable to Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service Occupational Groups/ Services of ESTACODE (Civil Establishment Code).

The lawyer said that the inter-departmental cadre will be administered by the Auditor-General and departmental cadres by the respective heads of the departments. Also, the Auditor-General will prepare and maintain a gradation list of all officers in grade-17 and above in the inter-departmental cadre, while the department heads will maintain seniority list of officers and staff in grade-17 and below in the departmental cadre.

Haider Waheed argued that the plaintiff is discharging highly sensitive, confidential and necessary duties which are essential for the safety and well-being of the state.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2014.