ISLAMABAD, May 23: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the secretary interior to take action on the report of director general immigration and passport (DGIP) regarding 18 irregular postings in Pakistan’s foreign missions, and to submit a compliance report within a week.

Justice Siddiqui passed the order while hearing a petition filed by officials of the immigration and passports directorate against the foreign postings of relatives of former legislatures.

The petitioners said they were entitled to the foreign postings, but the former interior minister and other parliamentarians had directly appointed their own relatives. These blue-eyed people were from outside the directorate of immigration and passport, and were later transferred to embassies of USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and Middle Eastern countries.

According to the documents submitted in the court by the DGIP, between December 31, 2012 and March 15 (the last date of the former government), the interior ministry had posted 91 officers to 21 of Pakistan’s missions abroad, of which 18 were “not as per seniority and merit”. Among these 18 appointments, 13 were made by former interior minister Rehman Malik and three by the secretary interior Khawaja Siddique Akbar. Furthermore, Nadir Gabol, son of MNA Nabil Gabol, was posted in New York and Nakash Nasir, son of former MNA Asiya Nasir, was posted in Oslo.

Those posted abroad by the order of Rehman Malik include Mohammad Shahzad Baksh (Los Angeles), Sajjad Mustafa Bajwa, Malika Arooj Fatima and Khizer Javed (Toronto), and Saeed Agha (Dubai). Similarly, Kamran Raza, Akhtar Hussain Sial and Mohammad Abdullah were posted in Jeddah.

Furthermore, Syed Usman Jamil (Canberra), Arbab Yawar Hayat (Kuala Lampur), Abdul Rehman (Mascut), Samiur Rehman (Washington DC) and Mohammad Saeed (Washington DC) were also posted on the orders of Rehman Malik.

Khawaja Siddique Akbar had managed to post Mohammad Imran in Washington, Mohammad Ashraf in Bradford and Mohammad Hassan Khan in Doha while working as secretary interior.

On April 15, DGIP Zulfiqar Ahmed Cheema had sent a list of all 18 irregular appointments to the secretary interior, requesting that all these be sent back to Pakistan.

In the letter, he stated that the postings abroad were made without considering the prescribed criteria, seniority and experience, adding that “The said postings continue till date, resulting in uncertainty, deprivation and unrest among the staff.”

“The postings made in violation of merit and seniority should immediately be cancelled so that these appointees can be repatriated to Pakistan,” the letter said.

The DGIP also recommended that a selection committee be constituted for the selection of deserving candidates of the department on a seniority-cum-fitness basis for postings in Pakistan’s missions abroad.

Deputy attorney general Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri told the court that action on the DGIP’s letter was still awaited and authorities had been reminded on May 13 through another letter, but to no avail.

IHC Justice Siddiqui directed the secretary interior to take action and also directed him to submit a compliance report to the IHC registrar office within a week.