PHC suspends transfer order of Auqaf Dept official

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday suspended the transfer order of an official in the Auqaf Department who was transferred several times in less than a year reportedly for pointing out irregularities in the department.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Irshad Qaiser and Justice Roohul Amin Khan suspended the transfer order of assistant manager Sahibzada Taj Malook and issued notice to secretary and administrator of the Auqaf Department.

During hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer, Ijaz Anwar submitted before the bench that his client had been transferred by the Administrator of Auqaf Department several times in less than a year after he pointed out irregularities in the department.

He said as there were no proper transfer and posting rules in the department, the provincial government transfer and posting policy would apply. Under this rule, a government employee would not be transferred in three years from the date of posting, he explained.

He said that the petitioner was first transferred on April 8, 2015 from Peshawar to Mansehra, then he was transferred to Mardan on September 4, 2015 and then to Peshawar on November 11, 2015.

The lawyer said that now on the directive of secretary Auqaf, the administrator Auqaf has issued transfer order of the petitioner on February 2, 2016 from Peshawar to Mansehra.The lawyer said that the petitioner during inquiry had pointed out some irregularities in the allotment of shops on rent in the Dabgari Garden Plaza of the department and thus the authorities concerned had started victimisation of his client.