May 23, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 17, 1429

KARACHI, May 22: A division bench of the Sindh High Court issued notices to the Pakistan Television and the federal information and broadcasting ministry in a petition moved by a senior producer of the television against his dismissal from service.

Petitioner Matloob Hussain Rizvi said he had already put in 24 years of service and was serving as senior producer when he was dismissed without any show cause notice, inquiry or opportunity to clarify his position in 1996.

He had gone abroad for 10 days against sanctioned leave and sought 10 days’ leave more and returned home after the expiry of the extended leave period. However, his application was ignored and he was treated as absent without leave and deprived of his job.

The petitioner said after a number of representations against the unjust dismissal, the PTV management re-employed him on a ‘temporary basis’ in 2001. He remained deprived of any fringe benefits and a fresh employment contract was to be signed by him every three years. He was at present serving as current affairs manager but with pension rights after about three decades of service.

Representing the petitioner, Advocate Umer Farooq Khan argued that the petitioner’s dismissal was in clear violation of his fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution and the high court had jurisdiction to grant him relief. It was also repugnant to the principles of natural justice as he was given no opportunity to contest a decision depriving him of the means of his livelihood.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Azizullah M. Memon and Justice Khalid Ali Z. Qazi issued notices to the respondents for a date in office.

DSP’s plea

Another division bench consisting of Justices Yasmin Abbasy and Rana Mohammad Shamim issued notices to the provincial police officer and the home department in a petition moved by a senior deputy superintendent of police, Ali Sher Jakhrani.

The petitioner submitted through Advocate Mohammad Nawaz Shaikh that a summary for his out-of-turn promotion was approved by former chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim in view of his dedicated service under Section 9 (A) of the Sindh Civil Servants Act. Among other awards, he won a commendation certificate for his work in Kosovo as part of a UN peace mission. Yet the CM’s decision was not being implemented on one pretext or another.

SSGPL officer’s plea

Yet another division bench comprising Justices Mrs Qaiser Iqbal and Mahmood Alam Rizvi issued notices to respondents, including New Town police officer, Karachi, in a petition moved by Ghazi Anwer Kerio, acting chief manager (transmission), Sui Southern Gas Pipeline Limited, through Advocate Shafqat Ali Shah Masoomi.

The petitioner alleged that he was being threatened by a colleague against whom he was assigned a departmental inquiry. He was being chased by some suspicious people on motorcycles following threats issued by the fellow GM and his brother-in-law, also a senior general manager in the SSGPL.