At odds with Sindh govt: SC seeks list of officials promoted out-of-turn

Court declares out-of-turn promotions null and void

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Sindh government to submit the list of officers, who are still serving in violation of its judgment, wherein all out-of-turn promotions in the province since 2002 were declared null and void.

The three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk, while hearing identical contempt petitions filed by Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi, has issued notices to several senior officials of the Sindh government who are serving in violation of its judgment.



On Tuesday, the court directed the Additional Advocate General Sindh to submit the list of officers promoted in violation of its verdict within ten days.

The 139-page judgment authored by Justice Ameer Hani Muslim had declared the benefit of ‘absorptions’ extended by the Sindh government since 1994, with or without backdated seniority as a clear violation of the Constitution.

Likewise, in its ruling the court also declared all out-of-turn promotions made under section 9-A of the Sindh Civil Servants Act, 1973, by the Sindh government as unconstitutional.

Subsequently, the court had also barred the Sindh government from rehiring/re-employing retired civil servants.

In its verdict the court had also directed that the nominations made by the chief minister in excess of the quota given by Rule 5(4) (b) of the West Pakistan Civil Service (Executive Branch) Rules, 1964, are without lawful authority and all the 15 nominees (Assistant Commissioners) are reverted to their original positions.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2014.