LAHORE, Dec 15: Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday summoned the Pakpattan education EDO on Dec 21 for contempt proceedings initiated against him for ignoring the court orders.

Petitioner Abdul Gaffar, a teacher, had filed a petition against the EDO stating that he was transferred to another educational institution of the district, but the respondent (EDO) was avoiding posting him there.

The court summoned the EDO who submitted that he was not posting him because of a ban on transfers and postings. The EDO had no answer when the court asked why he was transferred during the ban on transfers and postings. The court directed the respondent to appear on the next date of hearing with a written statement.

Prior to appearing in the court on the next date, the EDO cancelled the transfer of the petitioner and informed the same to the court through his representative. This annoyed the judge who reprimanded the EDO observing that how he could cancel transfer orders using his free will without informing the court. The court issued a contempt of court notice to the EDO for taking such a step.

The petitioner on Wednesday appeared in the court and stated that the EDO had posted him on the seat as per his desire, so he wanted to withdraw his petition.

The judge said it had become a case of contempt of court, observing that the EDO had posted the petitioner but he did not follow the court orders and acted with his free will on the matter.

He summoned the EDO on Dec 21 for contempt of court proceedings.

REPORT SOUGHT: Justice Tariq Javaid of the LHC has sought a reply from the Punjab chief secretary and the services and general administration secretary by Dec 23 on a petition seeking issuance of a promotion notification.

Petitioner Shahbaz Khan, through his counsel, submitted to the court that he was appointed as a research officer in Lahore Museum under the Information and Culture Department on Jan 1, 1975, and later he was promoted to grade-18 on the post of Keeper (Pre-Islamic Collections) on April 18, 1986.

The petitioner said he later appeared in a Punjab Public Service Commission’s test and finally selected as director (archeology) in grade-19, but the then adviser (archeology) to whom the petitioner had to replace, was not agreed with the recommendations of the commission.

He said the advisor later sent back his case to the commission for withdrawal of the recommendation, but the commission reiterated its earlier contention stating that the petitioner was rightly selected for the post.

He said the Punjab government instead of implementing the commission’s decision abolished the post and created two posts of deputy director in grade-18 on July 29, 1990.

The petitioner said he filed a petition, against this decision, in the Lahore High Court, which decided the case on April 13, 1994, by declaring the government’s decision illegal with a direction to post him as director within two weeks, but to no avail. He said the government later gave him the charge of the director general (archeology) twice for sometime being an experienced officer, but later it appointed the grade-19 DMG officers on this seat of grade-20 by ignoring his seniority.

He said his case for promotion in grade-20 was also forwarded to the government, but the senior officials concerned didn’t promote him despite the fact he (the petitioner) deserved to be promoted. He said later the chief minister through a summary approved his promotion case on Aug 6, 2009.

He prayed to the court to order the respondents to issue his notification of promotion with effect from Aug 6, 2009. The court after hearing the arguments sought a detailed report in this regard.