Employee seeks CJ suo motu notice of irregularities at LHC

LAHORE: A senior court associate at the Lahore High Court (LHC) has appealed to Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar to take suo motu notice of alleged out-of-turn promotions in the hierarchy of the high court and a ‘vindictive’ inquiry, initiated against him for questioning the irregularities.

In an application, submitted to the Human Rights Cell of the Supreme Court, Muhammad Akmal Khan stated that he had been performing his duties as a senior court assistant at the LHC for the last 24 years with an unblemished record.

Khan said the authorities launched a baseless inquiry against him after he raised voice for his right and also filed a constitutional petition before the high court, questioning out-of-turn promotions and illegal appointments to the institution. He also filed another petition challenging appointment of incumbent registrar of the LHC for being contrary to the rules.

He pleaded that his matter of promotion had been pending since 2009 while many officers junior to him had been given out-of-turn promotions.

He alleged that the LHC authorities dragged him into false inquiries to teach him a lesson for playing a role of whistle-blower against violation of rules.

Khan claimed that he had lost trust in delivery of justice by the high court, and therefore, the CJ should take suo moto notice of the situation.

The officer alleged that he had been persuaded by the LHC chief justice to withdraw the petition, but he refused to abandon his struggle for the rights.