LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday issued a notice to the provincial government and also summoned Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer on a petition challenging his reappointment.

District Emergency Officer Dr Ahmad Raza assailed the new contract awarded to Dr Naseer 80 days after expiry of his previous contract for being illegal.

During the hearing, petitioner’s counsel Chaudhry Shoaib Saleem argued the post of DG was to be notified by the government for a period of three years and after every three years the government had to fill the vacancy afresh through proper procedure.

Interestingly, he said, only the respondent had been appointed for more than five times as Rescue 1122 DG which showed that only he could be found eligible for the post from across the province and there was no other person capable enough to run the affairs of the body.

The counsel stated that the last contract of the respondent expired on Oct 16, 2019, after which he remained no more official and had nothing to do with the organisation.

However, he said, after almost 80 days of expiry of the contract, the chief secretary illegally and unlawfully extended the contract of the respondent, Dr Naseer, on Jan 6, 2020.

He contended that as per the law the efficiency of an official shall be ensured through regular performance evaluation and the extension in contract appointment or right to apply for a higher post shall depend on performance evaluation reports of the official.

However, he pointed out that in case of the respondent the law had been completely ignored as no performance evaluation was ever made rather home secretary, the parent department, wrote a number of times to him to provide his ACRs. The respondent officer never bothered to provide the same, he added.

The counsel asked the court to declare the re-appointment of the respondent illegal and null and void.

Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi sought replies from the respondents by Feb 18 and sought personal appearance of the respondent DG.

The judge also directed the petitioner’s counsel to come up with arguments to establish locus standi of the petitioner to agitate the matter.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2020