LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday sought replies from the federal and provincial governments on a petition challenging the practice of appointing officials as officers on special duty (OSD) usually as punishment.

Advocate Abdullah Haroon, the petitioner in person, argued before the court that placing an officer as OSD was tantamount to penalise him. He said the expression of OSD was not available in the applicable laws.

He said there was no law allowing bureaucrats to be appointed as OSDs and after such appointments they sit at home and draw salaries for no work.

The lawyer pointed out that the Supreme Court had already settled the issue in its two judgments passed in 2015 and 2016. Therefore, he said, the act of placing the officers as OSD was liable to be declared illegal and without lawful authority.

Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi observed that the contention of the petitioner needed consideration. He directed a law officer to submit replies on behalf of the respondents by the next hearing.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2024