PESHAWAR, July 11: The NWFP government has termed the recent promotions of 34 district and sessions judges to BPS-21 by the Peshawar High Court against the rules and asked the court to review its order.

It is learnt that a letter was sent to the Registrar of the high court by the Establishment Administration Department on July 5, in which it was stated that the said promotions were against the prescribed procedure.

The letter No SOR-IV(E&AD)/3-11/2002 was sent by a section officer of the department, Akbar Ali Khan. The letter states: “It may be pointed out that the provincial government vide letter No. B-1/1-17/2001-2002/FD dated 1-7-2001 has imposed a ban on upgradation   of posts. In order to place an officer in a higher scale, his post needs prior upgradation by the Finance Department with the approval of competent authority.

Since the prescribed procedure was not followed in the instant case as such the promotion order of district and sessions judges to BPS-21 is not covered by the rules/instructions on the subject, which may kindly be reviewed under intimation to this department.”

The promotions were made by the departmental committee of the high court on May 30 under rule 11 of the NWFP Judicial Services Rules-2001. Prior to that promotions the district and sessions judges had been functioning in BPS-20. The order of the high court has drawn criticism from different circles as some of the senior judges have been ignored during the promotions.

Sources in the high court said that now a departmental committee, comprising senior judges of the high court, will meet in the next few days to discuss the issue and find a way out.