Out of turn: SHC seeks details of 300 highway police officers on deputation

Petitioners claim they are eligible for promotion but were sidelined due to 'deputationists'

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has sought details of as many as 300 employees of the National Highways and Motorway Police, who are still working on higher posts on deputation in violation of the Supreme Court judgment.

A division bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, was hearing a petition filed by three patrolling officers of the highway police, who had challenged the deputation and absorption of the officers in the department from the regular police force of different provinces.

The petitioners said they had joined the National Highways and Motorway Police as patrolling officers in basic pay scale (BPS) of 14, adding that their jobs were later confirmed in 2012. Lawyer Ali Asadullah Bhullo argued that the petitioners stand eligible for promotion to the post of senior patrolling officer in BPS-16 after having served the mandatory period of five years in the same scale and completing the required probation training course.

However, the police officers, who were posted on deputation from the police of other provinces and were permanently absorbed in service later, have deprived the petitioners of their lawful right to the promotion, he added.

The court was informed that the 'deputationists' were still working on the higher posts in violation of the judgment passed by the SC, ordering all such officers to be repatriated back to their parent departments. The court was pleaded to declare that the petitioners are eligible to the next grade and order the departmental promotion committee to consider their cases. A direction was also sought for the repatriation of all the officers working on deputation. During Wednesday's proceedings, Bhullo claimed that more than 300 employees are still enjoying the status of 'deputationist' despite the SC judgment.

Inspector Rizwan Ashraf, who represented the National Highway and Motorways Police, said that more than 300 cases of the employees are already pending decision in different courts. He requested for time to submit a proper statement. Allowing the request, the judges gave him time till May 21 to submit the statement.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2015.