LAHORE: An officer of the Lahore High Court whistleblowing out-of-turn promotions and ‘illegal’ appointments in its establishment for long has accused LHC senior officers of hurling him life threats and forcing him to withdraw his petition pending against promotions.

In an application submitted to LHC administration committee, assistant registrar/supervisory officer Muhammad Akmal Khan states since most of the senior officers were hit by his writ petition as they have been pressurising him to withdraw the same with threats of dire consequences.

The applicant says frivolous departmental inquiries have been initiated against him since he agitated irregularities in the establishment in 2017. He states that officers made party in the petition have been tasked with the inquiries against him.

Khan asks the administration committee to take notice of the situation and take action against the officers involved in extending life threats to him. He has also forwarded the application to the IGP with a request to lodge a case against the officers under the relevant provisions of law.

During a March 2017 hearing on his petition, a judge directed the LHC registrar to submit a report on steps taken for the implementation of a Supreme Court’s judgement against out-of-turn promotions. The court also directed the registrar to submit list of employees who had been granted any benefit under Rule 26 of the high court establishment rules in any manner including employment, deputation, promotion, post upgradation, absorption, or had been granted any other benefit including additional increment etc. However, the report was never submitted to the court.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2019