ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday stopped induction of ‘outsiders’ in the capital police and sought assistance from the attorney general and advocate general on the quota reserved for provinces and other territories of Pakistan to fill the vacancies in Islamabad-based government departments.

The Islamabad police is recruiting 118 assistant sub inspectors, 800 constables and 1100 ministerial staff.

The capital police offered 50pc quota for local candidates and the rest was for the provinces and other territories.

IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani while hearing the petition filed by a lawyer Barrister Yawar Gardezi seeking declaration against “any quota of any Unit/Province of the Federation, other than the Islamabad Capital Territory, in any and all jobs or posts of any and all departments of the Islamabad Capital Territory”, stopped the Islamabad Police from appointing candidates of domicile holders other than Islamabad.

The judge sought parawise comments from the respondents and sought assistance from the attorney general and advocate general Islamabad on the recruitment for “localised posts of Islamabad Capital Territory”.

Justice Kayani issuing the stay against the recruitment of the ‘outsiders’ issued the direction that “meanwhile, recruitment process in the ICT police shall continue, however, final result to the extent of 50pc quota meant for other provinces or regions shall not be announced”.

However, the court allowed the induction of local candidates.

The court order read: “Result of remaining seats to the extent of Islamabad Capital Territory may be announced, if concluded before the next date of hearing.

Further hearing in this matter has been adjourned till Sept 23.

The petition also requested the court to declare that “only holders of an Islamabad domicile are eligible to apply for such jobs or posts.”

It stated that 18th Constitutional Amendment had ensured autonomy to the federating units and decentralised numerous departments and ministries previously under the control of the federation.

The amendment created a Federal Legislative List, after which the federation could only make laws on subjects within that list and had administrative control to the extent of its legislative powers.

The provinces now have legislative and administrative control over every subject or department not within the Federal Legislative List.

Furthermore, only a 50pc quota was reserved for posts in basic pay scales 1-15 in the departments of the federation which serve only Islamabad in violation of Article 25 of the Constitution and Rules 14, 15 and 16 of the Civil Servants (Appointment, Promotion and Transfer) Rules 1973, it added.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2024