PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court has issued notices to Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) and federal government, seeking their response to plea of a candidate, who wants to be appointed in an intelligence agency on basis of ‘recommendations’ of the commission.

A bench consisting of Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Sadiq Ali issued the order after preliminary hearing of a petition filed by a candidate Mohammad Afaq, seeking directives for the government to issue his appointment order against post of assistant director (BPS-17) in Intelligence Bureau.

The petitioner requested that his appointment might be made with back benefits with effect from the date as his fellow colleagues were appointed.

Advocate Mian Zakir Hussain appeared for the petitioner and said that his client had secured distinctive position both in written test as well as in interview and after due verification, scrutiny and completion of all codal formalities had been recommended by FPSC for appointment against the post of assistant director (BPS-17) in the office of IB.

He stated that after securing place in the merit list, a verification process including issuance of police clearance certificate was also conducted by the respondents. He added that belonging to a respectable family of Kohat, the petitioner had no adverse record.

He argued that by virtue of articles 4 and 25 of the Constitution, the petitioner should be treated in accordance with law and should not be discriminated.

The lawyer said that once the commission recommended the petitioner for the appointment then there was no other mandate with the respondents except to issue appointment letter, which had been illegally and unlawfully withheld without any legal justification.

He contended that any re-advertisement would affect petitioner’s rights. He stated that in the light of a recent judgement of Supreme Court, non-issuance of appointment letter after a candidate being recommended by the commission or competent authority without any legal justifications was illegal and could not take away the right of the petitioner to his appointment except in accordance with law.

The counsel requested the court to restrain the respondents including FPSC, federal government and IB, from re-advertising the positions and to keep one vacant post for the petitioner till the final disposal of the writ petition.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2026