KARACHI, Aug 1: The Supreme Court has declined the provincial government leave to appeal against a Sindh Services Tribunal (SST) order reinstating an information director.

Respondent Safdar Ali Shah, director, information (press), was sacked in July 2001 for ‘paying Rs 6.8 million to various newspapers and periodicals, most of which were dummy’. He challenged his compulsory retirement before the SST and the tribunal held that there was nothing against him in a departmental inquiry report on the basis of which he was punished. Besides, he was not associated with the probe ‘at any stage’.

Upholding the SST order of July 20, an SC bench, comprising Justices Hamid Ali Mirza and Saiyed Saeed Ashhad, noted that the court had already refused leave in three identical cases. Government petitions against Mohammah Khalid Sitai and Ziauddin Agha of the information department were dismissed and a third petition against the SST order reinstating Shamsul Haq Memon was withdrawn by the appellant itself. The three officials had since been ordered to be reinstated, it said.

SHC DIRECTION: A division bench of Sindh High Court, comprising Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Zia Pervez, decided to hear income tax commissioner Iqbal Ahmed Jumani’s writ petition against the central selection board on Aug 19 and asked the federal government to keep one of the grade 21 vacancies unfilled in the meanwhile.