LAHORE: With cases of senior bureaucrats in BS-20 to BS-22 being considered for forced retirement by a high forum in Islamabad, former Lahore capital city police officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh has served a legal notice on Establishment Secretary Ijaz Munir for considering him for the purpose in violation of rules and regulations.

Touted as one of the country’s most influential government officers, the establishment secretary is the only officer who has a direct say in the promotion of all civil servants from Grade 17 all the way up to the elite rank of Grade 22.

The Directory Retirement Board (DRB) is said to be considering the cases of several bureaucrats, including the police, for their forced retirement under the Civil Servants (Directory Retirement from Service) Rules, 2020.

Pre-empting the consideration of his case, the former CCPO served a legal notice on the establishment secretary and warned of litigation for sending him on forced retirement by violating service rules. A copy of the legal notice was also available with Dawn.

However, Secretary Munir told Dawn that the division would follow court orders in letter and spirit.

“Since the officer has gone to court, we will proceed as per orders of the court,” he said.

On the other hand, Mr Sheikh’s legal notice said the BPS-20 officer held an “excellent unblemished” service record of around 30 years.

“Our client was first time superseded by the Central Selection Board (CSB) in its meeting held from 27th to 29th January, 2020. Our client assailed the ‘supersession’ initially before the Islamabad High Court and thereafter before the Supreme Court,” the notice read. The matter was sub judice and pending adjudication before the apex court.

It further stated that recently Mr Sheikh was “superseded” again by the CSB in its meeting held in January. He assailed the supersession before the Lahore High Court and a “criminal original petition” pertaining to the non-implementation of the high court orders was also filed.

The notice said the DRB was scheduled to meet in Islamabad. “It has come to our client’s knowledge that his case may be put before the DRB for consideration,” it stated.

It added that Mr Sheikh’s first supersession recommended in 2020 and then in 2021 had not attained “finality” interms of Section 5(b) of the Rules and is currently sub judice. So his case could not legally be considered by the board, it maintained.

“Therefore, your office is requested not to put forth the case of our client before the DRB for consideration; as such consideration will be unlawful and illegal. Your office is requested to intimate and duly inform all concerned parties in this regard,” reads the notice.

“Failing which, we have been given clear instructions to proceed against your office through the commencement of appropriate legal proceedings including, but not limited to, those of a civil, constitutional and criminal nature before all the competent courts of law.”

A copy of the notice was also sent to the Federal Public Service Commission chairman Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2021