LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday directed the railway ministry and the auditor general of Pakistan (AGP) to produce the audit report on illegal recruitments made in 2013.

Earlier in the previous hearings, Justice Shamas Mehmood Mirza had issued notices to the auditor general and the railway ministry but the order was not complied with. The court later directed them to appear on May 28 by granting them last opportunity.

Petitioner’s counsel Sheraz Zaka alleged that illegal appointments have been made in law and finance departments of the railway.

He said people had been appointed by using political influence and nepotism in March 2013.

He said the ministry had also violated the Election Commission’s ban on new appointments in the ministry before elections in May 2013.

He submitted that such appointees had been exercising their powers illegally and had become a burden on taxpayers’ money. He pointed out that the audit report also stated that the appointments were illegal.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2018