LAHORE: The Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Sunday showed displeasure over denying a job to a visually-impaired woman after she passed written examination with distinction.

Visually-impaired Hijab Qadeer appeared before the court and said she had passed the written examination with distinction but the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) failed her in interview.

PPSC Secretary told the court that the commission had allotted 100 marks for interview but the woman could not get the passing marks and failed to qualify for the job.

The CJP took notice of allotting equal marks for test and interview for the post and termed it a violation of the court orders.

He remarked that it seemed the commission had assigned equal marks for test and interview for nepotism and to oblige the children of the powerful people. “You people should have fear of God and it was your responsibly to look after the visually-impaired people,” the CJP said.

The CJP said the judiciary had also recruited a visually-impaired person as a civil judge. “People help the visually-impaired persons to cross the road and you people are showing discrimination against them,” he said.

The woman’s husband also termed the commission’s conduct discriminatory.

The court ordered the commission to give the petitioner woman her right and submit a report to the court on the next hearing.

In another case, the Supreme Court sought a detailed report on District Collectorate from the Punjab government and senior member of the Board of Revenue (BoR).

CJP Saqib Nisar asked the revenue authorities under what law Patwaris were still transferring land after establishment of the Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA). “They are transferring land of graveyards and were involved in plundering the innocent people,” he said.

He said the court wanted to know under what authority Patwaris were transferring land and what PLRA was doing.

He said if any law was not presented the court would expel Patwaris and also sought a report on all the Circle District Collectorate and Patwaris of Lahore.

In another case, the CJP ordered the DIG (legal) Abul Rab to submit a report on alleged illegal occupation of the house of a transgender person in Arifwala, Pakpattan district .

He was hearing a complaint lodged by the transgender person over “illegal occupation” of her house.

Earlier, a number of transgender persons appeared before the court and complained that powerful people had illegally grabbed their house in Arifwala.

They said a case was registered against the land grabbers and their bail applications were also rejected by the court but the police were not arresting the “influential people”, including Sufyan.

They told the CJP that they had come to the court a day before but were not allowed to approach him.

They pleaded that the court should take notice of the incident and get their house vacated.

The Court directed the DIG (legal) to submit a report on the matter on the next hearing.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2018