KARACHI, July 3: The Federal Service Tribunal restrained the Central Board of Revenue and the Income Tax Department on Thursday from filling in vacant posts of income tax inspectors pending hearing of appeals moved by 37 clerks and stenographers of the department.

According to the appellants, 50 per cent of the inspectors’ vacancies are to be filled in by direct recruitment and the remaining half by promotion from amongst the serving employees on the basis of seniority and competence. About 600 upper division clerks, stenographers and other employees took the departmental examination for promotion as inspectors.

One hundred and 24 of the in-service candidates were declared successful, but only 40 vacancies were filled. Their cases were being processed when the military regime took over in October 1999 and all postings and promotions were suspended pending “rightsizing” undertaken by the new government in the various departments. No post of inspector was abolished as a consequence of rightsizing but their cases for promotion remained in abeyance.

As the IT Department and the CBR did not redress their grievance, they approached the service tribunal through Advocate Mohammad Nawaz Shaikh.

The tribunal admitted their appeals for a regular hearing. Their application for an interim order restraining the authorities from making appointments to the vacant posts came up for hearing on Thursday. A bench, comprising former Justice Amanullah Abbasi (chairman) and Nazar Mohammad Shaikh (member) allowed the restraint plea.