High court judge surprised at Grade 17 officer’s failure to spell mathematics

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has taken exception to the conduct of an administrator of a cooperative housing society when he could not satisfy the court about his education qualification.

During a hearing of a petition on Saturday against the cancellation of leased plots in Qureshi Cooperative Housing Society, the court inquired the administrator about his education qualification and posting in the local government department.

The administrator, Mehram Ali, who is a Grade 17 officer, said he did BA in Mathematics. The court inquired the administrator from where he did his BA in Mathematics.

The official said he obtained his BA degree as a private candidate from Shah Latif University Khairpur. However, he was unable to tell the spelling of mathematics to the court when inquired by a judge.

The petitioners’ counsel submitted that the administrator had cancelled leased plots of the petitioners. He submitted that officers appointed in Grade 18 were working as grade 19 officers on own pay scale in the cooperative housing society.

The court inquired how the officer working on grade 18 could be appointed in Grade 19.

The counsel submitted that the impugned notification with regard to the appointment of the committee incharge was suspended, but the guards and other persons appointed by him were occupying the society and they had restricted the entry of the petitioners and office-bearers of the society.

The counsel alleged that a grade 18 government officer from the secretariat group has been appointed as registrar cooperative housing society, which is grade 19 post. He further alleged that the registrar was issuing illegal notices and notifications.

The court directed the registrar of the cooperative society to appear in person on the next date of hearing along with a comprehensive statement and an affidavit regarding the posting of guards, private persons and any other official of the cooperative department in the respondent society and adjourned the hearing till May 22.