ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued notices to the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) secretary and the Pakistan Sports Board acting director general in response to a petition seeking contempt proceedings against the two for purportedly flouting orders of the high court.

PSB Assistant Engineer Sarfraz Rasool in his petition claimed that acting DG Zahoor Ahmed with the approval of Secretary Nadeem Irshad Kayani transferred him from Pakistan Sports Complex to the National Internship Programme even though the matter was sub judice and his transfer notification had been suspended by the IHC.

His counsel Mirza Waqas told the court that the ministry’s bigwigs wanted to accommodate a blue-eyed officer in this position, whose post in the ministry had been abolished during the restructuring. The petition said Mr Rasool was a permanent employee of the PSB, while his successor Ijaz Akbar had been brought from another department for reasons best known to the superior authorities.

IHC Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan on April 17, 2024, issued a stay order and suspended the transfer of Sarfraz Rasool.

“Soon after granting the stay order, the respondent no.2 [acting DG]…despite having knowledge of the stay order granted by this Hon’ble Court…allowed respondent No.4 [Akbar] to hold the additional charge of the post of [the] assistant engineer, PSB,” the petition added. According to Mr Rasool, he was suspended by the acting director general following the court hearing and his services were placed at the disposal of the National Internship Programme on a deputation basis against the post of assistant director for a period of three years. It claimed that the said office order was contradictory to the direction of the IHC and also termed it “intentional disobedience.”

The petition further stated that the act of the respondent authorities i.e. secretary and acting DG “attracts the provisions of Article 204 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the provisions of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003.”

On April 4, IPC Secretary Nadeem Irshad Kayani issued the posting/transfer order of accounts officer Hiba Tul Saboor as the finance director, Assistant Engineer Ijaz Akbar from the IPC to the PSB, and Assistant Engineer Sarfraz Rasool from the PSB to the IPC. This order was issued when then-DG Shoaib Khoso was on ex-Pakistan leave.

Upon his return, the order was challenged in the high court and on April 17, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan suspended the notification about the postings and transfers in the PSB and issued a notice to the PSB.

Subsequently, DG Khoso was removed on April 19 and Additional Secretary Zahoor Ahmed got the additional charge of the PSB DG. The acting DG withdrew the April 4 transfer notification, re-issued another office order, and assigned the posts of director finance and assistant engineer to Ms Hiba and Mr Akbar. He had also suspended Sarfraz Rasool – the petitioner – till further orders.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2024