ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has been moved for early disposal of the petition that challenged appointments of the senior hierarchy of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

The petitioner, Naveed Ahmed, had earlier approached the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC), seeking details of the appointments made in the BISP, but the latter refused to share information despite the commission’s directions.

The petitioner then challenged the appointments of BISP board members, directors and deputy director, claiming that they were appointed without following due process of law.

The petition is pending before IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb since June last year.

Last week, Justice Aurangzeb, however, ordered the registrar office to fix the petition in accordance with the policy. The PIC, on the application of Mr Ahmed, had directed the BISP to disclose details related to its top appointments.

The petitioner had sought information about employees who had been dismissed or suspended as well as about those against whom inquiries were pending due to their financial embezzlement, besides details of recoveries deposited in the public exchequer.

He also sought details of appointment of all directors general and directors along with details of their skills, education, capability, degrees, relevant experience and knowledge.

Besides, the applicant had sought standard operating procedures for making appointments of all directors general, directors, senior officers, legal advisers and consultants as well as their pay packages.

Meanwhile, BISP Director Syed Tauqeer Hussain and Legal Adviser Chaudhary Shafiqur Rehman stated before the PIC that relevant information had already been shared with the applicant.

The applicant, on the other hand, responded that only about 5pc information was shared with him.

The PIC was of the view that it was the responsibility of the head of the public body to provide citizens the requested information under Section 9 of the RTI Act.

Subsequently, PIC directed BISP to “provide the remaining requested information about the consultants i.e., education, working experience, expertise, criteria and their procedure of appointment, duration of their services at BISP and certified copies of approval of such appointments from the relevant ministries, ensuring that their personal information such as phone numbers, addresses is not disclosed”.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2021