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KARACHI, Sept 8: The Sindh High Court disposed of as withdrawn on Thursday a petition against the direct recruitment of six deputy superintendents of police. The petitioner, a DSP, submitted through Advocate Khalid Javed that the respondents were appointed in 1991 without the posts being referred to the Sindh Public Service Commission.
They did not appear in any examination and their appointment was liable to be cancelled under the Removal from Service (Special Powers) Ordinance and a provision (Section 11B) inserted in the Civil Servants Act in 2002. They could also have been proceeded against under the efficiency and discipline rules. In any case, they should not be considered for promotion, which would adversely affect his own prospects, the petitioner said.
The respondent DSPs submitted through Advocate M. Nawaz Shaikh that they were appointed by the competent authority under the SPSC rules and the Sindh Civil Servants (Appointment and Promotion) Rules. The law and rules permitted a DSP to be appointed without reference to the SPSC. They underwent professional training for one year before joining service. The appointments were made after following all codal formalities. Section 11B of the Civil Servants Act was meant for federal servants. There was no allegation of misconduct or inefficiency against them and they had been performing their duties satisfactorily, the counsel argued.
The petitioner sought to withdraw his petition after the hearing and a division bench, comprising Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Mohammad Afzal Soomro, disposed it of as withdrawn.
NOTICE TO PSM: Another division bench, comprising Justices Mushir Alam and Syed Zawwar Hussain Jaffery, issued notices to Pakistan Steel and other respondents in a petition by 20 former PSM officers alleging that they were compelled to opt for an early retirement under a ‘golden-handshake’ scheme in the year 2000. They were, however, short-changed by the PSM management and were deprived of a sizable amount of the dues payable to them.
Their counsel, Advocate Zia Siddiqui, requested the court to set aside the changes made in the retirement scheme to the detriment of the petitioners and declare them entitled to all the benefits of the scheme as initially stipulated.
NOTICE TO UBL: The bench, headed by the CJ, issued a notice to the United Bank Limited for Sept 23 in a petition moved by Ms Shahida Faisal, wife of federal minister Faisal Saleh Hayat, for restructuring a loan advanced to Shah Jewna Textile Mills, Jhang.
Her counsel, Malik Mohammad Qayyum and Sardar Ejaz Khan, submitted that the petitioner director had already paid Rs 290 million on account of the Rs 200-million loan facility availed by the textile unit but the creditor bank was demanding Rs 620 million to extinguish the debt liability.
The counsel maintained that the debtor concern was a sick unit and was entitled to relief under the debt restructuring scheme contained in a State Bank of Pakistan circular of 2002. They requested the court to direct the respondents to allow the petitioner to benefit from the SBP scheme.
BAIL FOR MAZHAR: The bench, meanwhile, confirmed the bail granted to Pir Mazharul Haq, provincial law minister in the PPP government.
He said he had been implicated in a plots allotment case without any wrongdoing on his part for his affiliation with the PPP. The petitioner appeared in person.
