Education secy moves SHC over denial of promotion

Karachi

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday issued notices to deputy attorney general, secretary establishment and others on a petition filed by the Sindh education secretary over denial of promotion by the central selection board.

Petitioner Dr Fazalullah Pechuho, who is also the brother in law of former President Asif Ali Zardari, submitted that he had been recommended for promotion to BPS-21 in 2013, but his promotion was de-notified among 81 other officers following the Supreme Court’s judgment that set aside promotions of BPS-21 officers in the Orya Maqbool Abbasi case.

The petitioner’s counsel, M Aqil Awan, submitted that the Central Selection Board (CSB) had deferred the promotion case of Dr Pechuho to observe his performance from all aspects, including integrity of character.

He submitted that after the amendments made to the promotion policy through an official memorandum, the CSB had awarded 15 marks out of its discretion and under the promotion formula, five marks were for integrity/general/reputation/perception of the candidate. However, he said, the five marks were now overriding the effect of the remaining 10 marks. The counsel said Dr Pechuho’s promotion had been deferred due to this promotion formula for a year, which is unlawful and liable to be set aside. The court was requested to declare such formula as illegal and direct the secretary of establishment division and CSB to consider the case of petitioner for promotion to the BPS-21. The SHC division bench headed by Justice Munib Akhtar, after preliminary hearing of the petition, issued notices to the secretary establishment division, CSB and the deputy attorney general for the second week after winter vacations and directed them to file their comments.

Detention cases

The Sindh High Court issued notices to federal and provincial law officers and others on petitions against detention of citizens allegedly by the personnel of police and law-enforcement agencies.

Petitioner Asma Baloch submitted that CID officials had raided at her house in Lyari area and picked up her spouse, Mohammad Anwar, on December 2. She also alleged that police had also picked up her two nephews, Tauseef and Taufeeq, and their whereabouts are unknown. She requested the court to direct the police and personnel of law-enforcement agencies to produce the detainees before the court and provide details of cases, if any, against them.

Hearing another petition, the court directed the SHO of Shah Latif police station to appear and explain the allegation with regards to the alleged illegal detention of a Hikmatullah. Petitioner Hukam Jan submitted that the police had picked up her son, Hikmatullah, from their house on November 24 and till now he had not been produced before any court of the law. The court issued notices to provincial law officer and others and directed SHO of Shah Latif police station to appear before the court with an explanation.