SHC seeks Sessi’s comments on appointments despite ban

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday directed the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (Sessi) and its chairman to file comments on a contempt-of-court application about appointments in Sessi in violation of a restraining order.

The direction came on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) applications seeking the suspension of the process of appointments in Sessi, and initiating contempt-of-court proceedings against the Sessi chairman for violating the court’s order.

The applicant said that the minutes of the meeting of Sessi’s governing body speak volumes about the illegality that has been meted out in Sessi. The applicant’s counsel Farogh Naseem said that two Sessi members did not sign the minutes, noting that there was confusion about 3,484 persons being appointed in Sessi.

Besides, they also noted, according to the counsel, appointments in grades 1 to 4 can only be made on the basis of district and region, and the list of appointees should be prepared with authenticity that the appointments are made on the basis of district and region.

Naseem said Sessi hired doctors and other staff in excess without following the due process and procedures. He said appointments were made on backdates, while the employees were not going to work but receiving salaries.

He requested the court to suspend Sessi’s operation of appointments and initiate contempt-of-court proceedings against the Sessi chairman. Sessi’s counsel waived the notice on the applications, and claimed copies.

A single SHC bench headed by Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput directed the applicant to provide copies of the applications so that the defendant’s counsel can file comments on them.

Services Secretary Ghulam Ali Brahmani filed a statement on behalf of the chief secretary, saying that all the heads of the selection committees have confirmed that no appointments have been made in violation of the court’s interim order.

He also told the court that all the departments concerned have been directed to file their respective properly written statements with regard to the appointments made.

The court had earlier directed the provincial law officer to file categorical statements from the CS, the Sindh accountant general and the district treasury officers regarding appointments, advertisements and release of salaries by the provincial government from June to August. The MQM’s counsel had said that despite a restraining order, the government had been issuing backdated appointment letters to their blue-eyed boys in government departments.

The SHC had earlier suspended the operation on government advertisements with regard to appointments in government departments and autonomous bodies, and any process commenced through such advertisements until further orders.

Naseem had said that in order to work around the interim restraining order, the government had issued backdated orders for appointments in various government departments. He said public hospitals had been providing backdated medical fitness certificates and police officials backdated verification certificates.

The counsel had said that the act of the defendants clearly constituted corruption of a very high magnitude, with posts being sold to the poor people of the province.

He had requested the court to direct the CS to submit a report about all the induction processes, advertisements and salary disbursements, if any, in relation to government departments during the June to August period. He had also sought the cancellation of the Sindh government and election commission’s decision banning fresh inductions, with a direction for the caretaker government to make appointments against vacancies transparently in accordance with the law.