KARACHI, Jan 11: The Sindh Service Tribunal asked the provincial information department on Thursday to refrain from filling up vacancies created by the demotion of two of its grade-11 officials.

Advocate Mansoorul Haq Solangi informed the SST bench headed by former high court judge Abdul Ghani Shaikh that Salim Jatoi and Rafiq Jatoi joined the information department in 1993. They were promoted as junior translators in grade-7 in 1997. They became senior translators in 2002 and were promoted to grade-11. In August 2006, the lawyer said, the two officials were demoted to grade-5 without any charge-sheet or inquiry.

The respondent department said in its reply that the promotions given to the two officials were unlawful and no formal inquiry was required to ascertain their status. They were promoted in violation of the law and rules, it said.

Admitting the appeal to regular hearing, the tribunal restrained the department from filling up the vacancies in the meanwhile.