ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has fixed a much awaited case for hearing that has stopped recruitment in Islamabad Police for over a year.

The bench comprises Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro and Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas will hear the case on Sept 18.

Initially, the case was being heard by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani.

In August last year, Justice Kayani issued a stay order and 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 ASIs, 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.

Interestingly, hearing another petition, Justice Babar Sattar observed that the quota system was incorporated in the Constitution in 1973 with a sunset clause of 40 years which have lapsed years ago.

Because of conflicting views, the matter was remanded to the Chief Justice for constitution of a larger bench.

The bench was scheduled to hear the recruitment case during the month of April. However, the hearing was cancelled.

The registrar office now fixed Sept 18 for hearing the case.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2025