Illegal Appointments And Promotions In LHC Establishment: Punjab Govt Is Due Before LHC On Sept 15

Senior Member of the Lahore High Court establishment Muhammad Akmal Khan has questioned illegal, unlawful and out-of-turn promotions of the officials in Lahore High Court Establishment, pleading the court that salary of all such officials is a huge burden on national exchequer.

LAHOR: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-August 11^th, 2020) Punjab government is due before the Lahore High Court to submit reply in a petition challenging ‘illegal’ and ‘out of turn promotions of the officials of the Lahore High Court establishment and payment of high salaries to them from the public exchequer.

Justice Shujat Ali Khan passed the order and directed the Punjab government to come up with explanation on Sept 15.

Senior Member of LHC Establishment Muhammad Akmal Khan had filed the petition submitting that number of officials of the Lahore High Court establishment were promoted to the next ranks but their promotions were out of turn and illegal as no rules were followed in this regard.

He made LHC registrar, senior additional registrar, federation of Pakistan, ministry of law, Punjab Finance department, Punjab Secretary law, Punjab Accountant General and Auditor General of Pakistan as respondents while challenging illegal, unlawful and out of turn promotions in the Lahore High Court establishment.

The petitioner’s counsel said that a list of administration office coordinators, assistants was presented before the promotion committee was not issued by the competent authority. Only computer generated list was presented and concealed the fact that the administration office coordinators up-gradation was not duly approved by the Finance department as a meeting was convened on the subject matter on February 27, 2020 under notification No. SO(I&C-I) 5-14/2020.

He said an earlier order which was given on April 16, 2020 was not complied with strict-senso and the comments in the civil miscellaneous No.

1806/2020 were not submitted till to-date which were much necessary for dispensation of justice.

The petitioner stated that 150 assistants, 75 assistant registrars, 25 deputy registrars and 17 additional registrars of the Lahore High Court establishment were illegally promoted and appointed in violation of the existing rules, therefore, the salary of the illegal promoted and appointed officers may be stopped to save the government exchequer.

He further submitted that an appeal bearing no. 647-L of 2013 titled Riaz Shahid vs Tanveer Ahmad etc was pending before the Supreme Court against illegal, unlawful appointments and out of turn promotions in the establishment of Lahore High Court. He said that there was already a court order against illegal, unlawful appointments and out of turn promotions and relaxation of rules were against the natural justice and against the honor of the judiciary.

The petitioner who has not been promoted despite serving the institution for last many years claimed that public money was being wasted on the salaries being paid to the officials who were promoted in violation of rules of the Lahore High Court establishment.

He asked the court to grant status quo and stay over implementation of the notification for illegal, unlawful promotions and appointments of the office coordinators, superintendents/assistant registrars, reader/ court associates, deputy registrars as per Rule 7,8,9 and 15 of the Lahore High Court appointment and condition of Service) Rules, 1979 of the Lahore High Court establishment. He also prayed that the concerned authorities must be directed to come up with detailed comments so that the issue could be settled for dispensation of justice.