October 21, 2008	Tuesday	Shawwal 21, 1429

KARACHI, Oct 20: The Sindh High Court on Monday issued notices to the chief secretary and other respondents in a petition moved by a grade 19 officer against the government’s failure to promote him despite a Sindh Service Tribunal order upheld by the Supreme Court.

Petitioner Abdul Basit G. Khan submitted through Advocate Mohammad Nawaz Shaikh that the SST had ordered the government to restore his seniority. The government, he alleged, slept over the order despite repeated requests made him. In a delayed compliance, the chief secretary issued a notification in January giving him grade 19.

While his representation for grade 20 was pending, another grade 19 officer, Agha Zafarullah Khan Durrani, was promoted to grade 20. He was given another accelerated promotion to grade 21 and posted as director-general, agricultural engineering and water management in violation of his right.

The impugned decision, the petitioner said, was taken by the departmental promotion committee in September.

He requested the court to restrain the government from giving effect to the decision by issuing a notification. A division bench headed by Justice Khilji Arif Hussain issued notices to the respondents for October 31.