Removal of KP Assembly special secretary, IT director’s demotion notified

PESHAWAR: Following the Peshawar High Court judgement, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker has notified removal of his special secretary Syed Waqar Shah from service with immediate effect.

"In pursuance of the judgement issued on November 13 in a writ petition, the speaker KP Assembly is pleased to dispense the services of the special secretary (BPS-19), Provincial Assembly Secretariat," said the notification.

A division bench comprising Justice Roohul Amin and Justice Qalandar Ali Khan had declared as illegal the appointment of Syed Waqar Shah, an officer of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC), as special secretary to the speaker on deputation and subsequently absorbing his services in the assembly.

Ali Azim Afridi had challenged Waqar Shah's appointment and absorption on permanent basis in the KP Assembly Secretariat. The bench ruled that flagrant violations of law/rules have been observed in appointment of the officer. Besides, it said judgments of the apex court have also been violated by former provincial assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, who is now speaker of National Assembly, in order to accommodate and reward his favourite candidate.

The bench stated that it is yet another example of reckless exercise of authority and powers by a person who claims to be 'custodian' of the top legislative organ of the province. "Obviously, this court can't shut its eyes to such arbitrary exercise of powers and authority by a person in his position, in utter violation of law/rules and judgments of the Supreme Court," said a detailed judgement authored by Justice Qalandar Ali Khan.

Following the court judgment, the speaker KP Assembly also downgraded the post of special secretary/director-IT from BPS-21 to BPS-20. In another writ petition, the high court on November 13 had declared as illegal the promotion of the director (automation and IT) KP Assembly Attaullah Khan from BPS-20 to BPS-21, which was the second upgradation given to him against the said post.

The notification also stated that the speaker has downgraded the post of special secretary/director-IT from BPS-21 to BPS-20 (personal). The petitioner pointed out that earlier in 2009 a notification was issued allowing promotion to the respondent (Attaullah Khan) against the upgraded post of director (automation and IT) (BPS-20) as personal to him, and through the impugned subsequent notification on March 16, 2018, personal upgradation was again allowed to him at the behest of the speaker in violation of the rules and judgments of the Supreme Court.