LAHORE, May 9: Justice Hafiz Tariq Naseem of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday directed Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority (PIDA) secretary Ch Muhammad Sharif to appear before the court on May 14 to explain why the petitioner was ignored from appointment as technical coordinator.

Petitioner Amjad Ahmad said the authority’s selection committee had recommended him twice for the post but he was ignored without any reason. He said he applied for the post of technical coordinator after reading the advertisement in a national newspaper on December 30, 2005. The selection committee after interviewing him recommended him as suitable candidate for the post. He said despite this the PIDA did not issue appointment letter to him and left the seat vacant. He added he again applied for the slot when the PIDA on April 12, 2007, advertised the post afresh.

He said the recruitment committee again recommended him but even then the PIDA did not issue him an appointment letter. He had made PIDA chairman, management director, additional secretary and operations general manager as respondents.

The petitioner said the respondents were not only discriminating him but trampled upon his fundamental rights. He prayed that the respondents be directed to issue him appointment letter for the post. The court has also sought the record of the case.