PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Services Tribunal has suspended a notification for removal of former director general health services, Dr Shaukat Ali, and ordered his reinstatement to his position.

Rashida Bano, a member of the tribunal, issued notice to respondents including the provincial government, seeking their response to an appeal filed by Dr Shaukat, challenging the May 16 notification of his removal by the government.

Advocate Qazi Jawad Ehsanullah appeared for the appellant and stated that he had previously served in various positions and had been promoted due to his excellent performance. He said that Dr Shaukat Ali was a BPS-20 officer in the management cadre and was appointed as director general health on January 17, 2023 for a three years term.

He stated that the appellant had also filed a departmental request against his removal, but with no response after which he approached Peshawar High Court and later the Services Tribunal.

Ehsanullah said that in Feb 2023, the petitioner was approached by influential quarters including an MPA of the ruling party for seeking extra ordinary favours including appointment of certain individuals in health department.

He claimed when the appellant declined to fulfil their illegal demands, those elements started a campaign to victimise him. He added that a fictitious allegation was levelled against him of receiving gratification to approve transfer order of a female clinical technician, who had moved an application for her transfer from Medical Teaching Institution Bannu to MTI Dera Ismail Khan.

He stated that based on those allegations, his client was suspended through a notification on April 26, 2024, without any inquiry. He said that the suspension order was challenged through a petition before the high court.

The lawyer said that the high court disposed of his petition on May 15 with the direction to chief secretary to “see as to whether any departmental proceedings have been initiated by the competent authority in the instant matter and also to ensure that such suspension is not used as a tool to post out the petitioner from the post of director general health services, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”

Contrary to the court order, he said, the appellant was posted out through the impugned notification on May 16. He requested the tribunal to nullify the impugned notification and issue orders for his reinstatement so that he could complete his three-year term in the position.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2024