Rejects appeal by the provincial government against the decision of the service court, declaring seniority before 2019 legal
The Supreme Court of Pakistan dismissed the appeals of the Sindh government and declared that the seniority of Sindh police officers before 2019 is legal.
A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, dismissed the appeals challenging the decision of the Sindh Service Court and upheld the restoration of seniority, declaring it a constitutional right that cannot be ignored.
The court clarified that restoration of pre-2019 seniority is legal and all appeals filed by the Sindh Government are rejected. According to the ruling, the affected officials will now be eligible for timely promotions, since seniority is a fundamental aspect of the service structure.
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The case concerned deputy sub-inspectors recruited in 1990, who were politically dismissed from service in 1991. The Supreme Court noted that in 1994, the then IG of Sindh had reinstated the officers based on their original date of appointment.
The ruling highlighted that although no economic benefits were provided at the time of reinstatement, the officials’ original seniority was restored. However, in 2019, their seniority dates were changed without issuing exhibition notices, which the court found illegal.
The Sindh Government had requested that the seniority of officers be linked to 1991 and 1992 appointments instead of 1990. The Sindh Service Court declared the 2019 seniority list illegal and ordered restoration of the 1990 dates, a decision which has now been upheld by the Supreme Court.
