News
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
SC shows concern over appointment of juniors on key posts* Court says several good officers not accommodated in Punjab because they were not rulers’ blue-eyed men
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Hearing a suo motu case regarding job protection of civil servants, the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday expressed its concern over Punjab government’s appointment of “blue-eyed” junior officers on senior posts such as DCO and commissioner offices.
A three-member SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, heard the case, initiated on an application by a District Management Group (DMG) officer, Anita Turab.
The court said the provincial government repatriated good officers to the federal government.
In her petition, she said, “Most civil servants wish to work in an environment where their self-respect and dignity is not made vulnerable by all and sundry.”
During the hearing, Anita Turab also submitted a draft of terms of reference for protection of civil servants before the bench.
Copies of the draft were handed over to the amicus curiae, Hafiz Abdul Rehman, and counsels for the parties concerned, enabling them to go through the same and submit their reaction, if any, today (Wednesday).
The court said, “We have to encourage the existing laws regarding protection of civil servants.”
Punjab Additional Advocate General (AAG) Jawwad Hassan told the court that the Punjab government had given several recommendations for the job protection of civil servants.
Expressing its concern over the AAG’s statement, the court said, “Don’t compel us to expose what is going on in your province and do you think that we are sitting in court and are unaware of what has been happening outside?”
The court said that several good and well-reputed officers were not being accommodated in Punjab because “they are not blue-eyed men” of the rulers.
“Ask your chief secretary to provide a list of those junior officers who are being accommodated on higher posts,” the chief justice told the AAG.
He said that the Punjab government had been appointing its favourite officers on important posts despite they were doing a NEPA course.
The chief justice said that every government was accommodating their “near and dear” officers on important posts, adding that same was the case in Sindh where police officials were being promoted against rules.
The chief justice said that bureaucracy was the backbone of governance but rulers were not following laws while appointing civil servants. He said that good officers were being deprived of higher posts.
The chief justice said that several good Grade 22 officers had been made OSDs without being given any valid reason, adding that many officers were being transferred to remote areas because rulers disliked them.
The court also expressed concern over appointment of members in the Federal Service Tribunal (FST).
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk