Supercession: Suspended IGP moves high court

Says being punished for not submitting to the government.

ISLAMABAD: Former Islamabad IGP Aftab Ahmed Cheema has petitioned the Islamabad High Court challenging the promotion of a junior officer to grade 21 superseding him.

Cheema was suspended for disobeying government orders to use force against violent protesters during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) sit-in last year. Disciplinary proceedings are still pending against him.

The suspended IGP has challenged the Central Selection Board (CSB)’s recommendation for promoting Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Additional IGP Tariq Javed to grade 21.

“The petitioner has been made a scapegoat and his future career has been set at risk in view of non-submission before political mind,” the petition said.

The petitioner has listed the establishment secretary, CSB chairman and Javed as respondents.

The petitioner was among senior officers of the cadre whose case was placed before the CSB for consideration but not discussed and a junior official has been promoted to grade-21 instead of him, the petition stated.

“In not considering the case of the petitioner, the CSB has not performed its duty fairly and justly. Non-consideration for promotion amounts to nullifying the whole-hearted service,” he stated, adding that instead of rewarding him with promotion “he is being given a parting kick”. Cheema said he fulfilled the eligibility threshold but was denied the opportunity to be promoted to BPS-21.

The action of CSB in not even considering the case of the petitioner and keeping it aside is against the dictum laid down by law and mandate of the constitution, the petition read. He alleged that promotions in CSB were made on whims and wishes and also on pick and choose policy rather than on merit. He added that even the pendency of disciplinary proceedings against him do not debar the CSB to consider him for promotion and order his promotion or otherwise.

Cheema has requested the court to set aside the CSB recommendations for promotion and direct the respondents to reconsider his case.

The case has been fixed before Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui for hearing today (Tuesday).

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2015.