HYDERABAD, Sept 27: The Hyderabad circuit bench of the Sindh High Court on Thursday issued notices to chief secretary, home secretary, provincial police officer (PPO) and DIGs of special branch and headquarters on a constitutional petition filed by a former superintendent of police who challenged promotion of officers junior to him.

The court directed the respondents to file comments within two weeks. Noorul Haq Qureshi advocate represented the petitioner, Mohammad Yakoob Almani.

The petitioner said that many officers who served under him were promoted to higher posts out of turn.

After his representations, appeals, applications and complaints fell on deaf ears he moved Sindh Services Tribunal and challenged out of turn promotions, he said.

He said that the high-ups put barriers to his promotion by manipulating the seniority list showing some officers confirmed and restoring their seniority in sharp contrast to Supreme Court’s observation.

Mr Almani said that they continued to block his promotion. The tribunal decided the case in his favour on July 23, 2007 but during that period he was suspended under directive of chief minister Sindh on June 3, 2005 without any departmental proceedings or reason.

The petitioner’s case was recommended by selection board in its meeting held on Jan 12, 2007 along with Mohammad Ayaz Khan and Allahuddin Abbasi and the board declared that the officers would be accommodated according to original seniority but surprisingly the other two were promoted on June 19 and Aug 8, 2007 while his case was still pending.

He prayed the court to direct the chief secretary and PPO to implement the tribunal’s judgement and issue a notification directing the respondents to decide the petitioner’s case like that of two other officers.