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Tuesday March 19, 2024

‘What laws warranted ban on new recruitment?’

By APP
April 24, 2018

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to submit the reasons behind banning recruitment in government institutions.A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsen, heard the suo motu notice case.

The court also issued notices to the attorney general for Pakistan and advocates general for today (Tuesday). The ECP had issued a statement on April 11 regarding the hiring freeze in appointments made by the federal, provincial and local governments to ensure transparency of upcoming general elections.

During the hearing, the chief justice questioned the ECP secretary about the law under which they banned recruitment by public institutions. The ECP secretary informed the bench that the responsibility for fair elections falls with them under the Elections Act, 2017, so they were taking measures to ensure it.

The chief justice then asked wouldn’t such a decision affect the government functions, adding, "I took the step in a move to ensure holding of general elections on time." He remarked that complaints over appointments were filed in the high court, but they would try to wrap such cases on time.

Subsequently, further hearing of the case was adjourned till today (Tuesday). -- APP Sohail Khan adds: The Supreme Court sought a mechanism from the federal and provincial governments to determine as to who should get state security.

The chief justice directed the attorney general for Pakistan as well as advocates general of all the four provinces to devise a mechanism in order to determine as to who was entitled to state security.

“We don’t want to endanger anyone’s life who has been provided with state security, but at least people who are not entitled should not get it,” the chief justice remarked. “Even if Mian Sahib, former prime minister, is entitled to state security, it should be provided,” he said.

He said there should be a unified criterion for provisionof state security adding that people who were entitled should get it. “We don’t want to put anyone’s life at risk, but there should be a proper mechanism for this for which the federal government and all the provincial governments should devise a plan,” the chief justice added.

The chief justice maintained that the move for withdrawal of state security had been initiated in order to save the state resources as well as to protect the taxpayers’ money.

He said around Rs1 billion was being spent annually on providing security to people who were not entitled to the facility. The chief justice warned that no security will be provided to the relatives of ministers or high officials.

It is pertinent to mention that the chief justice had recently ordered withdrawal of state security to non-entitled persons. A Sindh Police official informed the court that they had withdrawn security to around 5,005 people in the province. The chief justice, however, expressed dissatisfaction.

The Punjab government told the court that security of unauthorised people had been withdrawn and sought some time to provide the overall figures in this regard. The KP government also told the court that a drive was being initiated in this regard.

Similarly, Inspector General (IG), Islamabad, Sultan Azam Temuri, told the bench that in pursuance of the court orders, they had called back 264 personnel provided to individuals. He further informed the court that a threat assessment committee had been formed to determine how many people had been provided with security in violation of the interior ministry's directions.