SC dismisses Sindh govt’s appeal against SHO’s reinstatement

The Supreme Court has dismissed the Sindh government’s appeal against the decision of the service tribunal to reinstate a station house officer (SHO) who had been dismissed from service by the provincial police chief.

The provincial government had challenged the decision of the service tribunal to reinstate SHO Ghulam Abbas Sundrani, who had been dismissed over his alleged links with dacoits. The government’s counsel told the court that the SHO had been dismissed after a departmental inquiry into his links with dacoits of the Kutcha areas and his involvement in extortion cases.

He said the service tribunal reinstated the respondent without considering the facts of the case, and requested the court to set aside the order of the service tribunal. A two-member SC bench headed by Justice Munib Akhtar said the respondent had not been provided an opportunity of hearing at the time of his dismissal, adding that the service tribunal had issued its order on his appeal in accordance with the law.