PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court on Thursday suspended an order of the secretary of livestock department about repatriation of the head of an integrated development project in Khyber tribal district after two months of his appointment on deputation against the said post.

A bench consisting of Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Mohammad Faheem Wali issued notice to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary, secretary of livestock and other respondents, seeking their response to a petition filed an employee of the livestock department, Naeemullah, who challenged his repatriation to his department through an order on July 1.

The bench ordered that operation on the impugned order of July 1 should remain suspended till further order.

Advocate Ameenur Rehman Yousafzai appeared for the petitioner and stated that his client was initially appointed as veterinary officer on the recommendation of departmental selection committee against a vacant post in a government project in Bara, Khyber tribal district, on Oct 15, 2018.

Petitioner terms the order violation of deputation policy

He said that in pursuance of KP (Regularisation of Services of Employees of erstwhile Fata) Act, 2021, the service of the petitioner was regularised.

He said that subsequently a provincial project selection committee, after detailed discussion and deliberation, recommended his client, from the panel of eligible candidates, for posting as head of the project titled ‘Integrated Development Package for Zakhakhel, Khyber’ on April, 28, 2025.

He stated that provincial government had started the project to revitalise the economic infrastructure of Zakhakhel tribal area. He said that the project included provisions for chillers for dairy shops, support for local business rehabilitation, matching grants for small and medium-sized businesses, projects promoting local crops and paid youth internships.

Mr Yousafzai stated that out of the blue, after two months of the petitioner’s posting against the said post, the secretary livestock issued the impugned notification on July 1. He stated that being aggrieved of the said order, the petitioner filed a departmental appeal with the secretary of livestock, but so far the same had not been decided.

He contended that the impugned notification was against law, facts and material available on file. He argued that normal tenure of posting of the petitioner was three years, extendable for another two years or till the project life, whichever was earlier.

He pointed out that KP Projects Implementation Policy, 2022, also clearly provided that a civil servant could be appointed to a project post on deputation and the initial period of deputation would be three years extendable for another two years, or till the project life, whichever was earlier.

The counsel claimed that the petitioner was performing his duty with devotion and he was posted against the said position purely on merit by the relevant committee. He added that no plausible reason was provided by the secretary for the impugned order.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2025