Promotion case: Government seeks stay on IHC order

Govt intends to file plea in Supreme Court

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday directed petitioners to submit their reply till Tuesday after the government requested the court to stay its previous verdict in the promotions case until a detailed judgment was issued.

The court, on July 27, had nullified recent promotions into grade 21 after over 50 bureaucrats moved the court against recommendations of the Central Selection Board. The court had directed the Establishment Division to devise a new formula for promotions within a month.

However, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Afnan Karim Kundi on Friday argued that the July 27 order on promotions should be stayed until a detailed judgment in the case was issued.

The AAG maintained before the single bench of Justice Aamer Farooq that being an aggrieved party, the federation intended to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the order. Only the detailed judgment would enable government to adequately formulate the questions of law for challenging the IHC decision, he said.

While seeking suspension, he said less than three weeks were left to file the appeal and if the previous court order was not implemented within a month, the federation would be facing a contempt of court charges.

The court, however, did not accept his request and granted time to respondents to file a reply till August 11.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 8^th, 2015.