PHC suspends removal of official

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court suspended the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s notification about removal of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Water Supply and Sanitation Company (WSSC) Swat, Pervez Khan, and restored his services till next order of the court.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Ikramullah Khan suspended the notification. It had been issued by secretary Local Government. The court summoned secretary local government for October 23 to the court, the next hearing of the case and sought reply from the provincial government in the petition.

During hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer, Muhammad Ijaz Sabi, submitted that the provincial government had appointed the petitioner as CEO Water Supply and Sanitation Company, Swat for five years after following proper legal procedure in June 2016.

He submitted that all of a sudden, the provincial government on September 27 issued his removal order from the post, without citing any sound reasons.

The lawyer informed the bench that the petitioner had properly applied for the post and initially 13 candidates including him were short-listed for the post. He said later three candidates, petitioner among them, were short-listed for the post. The names were forwarded to the chief minister.

He argued that the chief minister on June 1, 2016 issued appointment order of the petitioner and thus his notification as CEO was issued for a period of five years, which was extendable. However, without mentioning reasons, the lawyer said secretary Local Government on September 27, issued his removal order from the post, which is illegal and thus be declared as void.