LAHORE, Sept 1: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has expressed “surprise and

displeasure” over the appointment of an officer belonging to the Central Information Service as the director-general of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“We must express our surprise over the suitability of Kamran Ali Khan as the EPA director-general, who is burdened with the responsibilities of looking after the environment of the whole province,” wrote Justice Khalilur Rahman Ramday in his order. Justice Ramday recorded these observations while hearing a case, along with Justice Falak Sher, pertaining to delay in issuance of an NOC on environmental impact of a building.

“He (Mr Kamran) is an officer from the Central Information Services who joined the service in the year 1973 and has been serving in different capacities relating to the subject of information. According to him, his qualification and the consequent exposure vis-à-vis the environment is that while studying law in the year 1971 in the Punjab University, a subject of international law he studied contained environment as one of the topics,” Justice Ramday further wrote.

“His further qualification and claim to the post in question was that during his career he happened to have lived in Tokyo, Bonn and in New Delhi. He further informs us that he had since retired and it was because of the said expertise that he had been re-employed and put on the job in question,” the judge wrote.

“We can only express our surprise and displeasure over the selection of the incumbent of such an important office and expect that the authorities concerned will realise their responsibilities towards the people and do what is required by law to be done,” the judge concluded.