Islamabad:
The Superior Court of Islamabad (IHC) expressed on Tuesday the dissatisfaction with the response of the federal government and convened the official registration of the amendments made to the rules that govern the presidency of the meetings of the High Poling Selection Board (HPSB).
Judge Inaam Amin Minhas heard the case presented by the senior officials who challenged their exclusion for consideration for the promotion of grade 21 to grade 22. Taking the response of the unsatisfactory federal government, the Court questioned the reasons behind the exclusion of the requests of the promotion. “The government’s response does not explain why the petitioners were denied the promotion,” said the judge.
The court ordered the Federal Government to produce the official registration of the amendments made to the rules of the establishment division before the next hearing.
Representing the petitioners, the lawyer Umair Ijaz Gilani, Shoaib Shaheen and Faisal Naqvi argued that last minute amendments were made to the rules to allow the Vice Prime Minister to preside over the HPSB meeting instead of the prime minister.
The lawyers also argued that while the prime minister has the discretion of nominalizing someone to preside over the Board, the rules cited to support the change had not been notified in the Official Gazette or knew them so far.
The petitioners argued that the attached participation of Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the HPSB meeting was illegal, stating that only the prime minister can preside over such meetings.
The court asked the government lawyer why the explanation offered was largely based on technicalities and ordered that the complete registration of any amendment or change to the relevant rules will be presented before the next hearing.
