Punjab Inspector General Police Habib-ur-Rehman saved his skin on Tuesday in the Lahore High Court by assuring Chief Justice Azmat Saeed that promotions will only be granted to eight Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) in compliance with the court’s orders.
The LHC CJ was hearing contempt petitions filed by eight DSPs who were denied promotion to the rank of SPs despite the orders passed by the Supreme Court. The chief justice expressed his displeasure over the non-compliance of the court’s order and the behaviour of the police and had summoned the IG to explain his position before the court charged him with contempt of court. The IG assured the court that the court’s orders will carried out by Tuesday evening.
The chief justice also directed the IG to submit a compliance report in the court within a week and to publish the seniority list of the police officers.
The petitions had been moved in the court by Faisalabad Traffic Police DSP Mariam Naheed and Sheikhupura Police DSP Aslam Niazi. Their counsel had submitted that the officials’ department was not promoting them over the objection that they did not have the required two-year field work experience.
Arif Rasheed and others had also filed a petition submitting that they were due to be promoted to the rank of SPs since the past many years but the department’s officials had stalled their promotions.
PUNJAB GOVT SNUBBED FOR GIVING ‘WRONG STATEMENTS: LHC CJ Azmat Saeed on Tuesday summoned Punjab education secretary on April 30 after a government law officer gave a wrong statement during the last hearing.
The officer had said legislation is being passed in the assembly for the provision of free education to children aged between five to 16 years.
However, the chief justice was told on Tuesday, by the counsel for the education department, that the government is yet to provide free education to school-going children and that legislation may be made in this regard.
Surprised at the contradiction, the CJ demanded an explanation, at which the counsel said the deputy advocate general gave the statement by mistake as he was not aware of the factual position of the matter. On this, the chief justice reprimanded the counsel and strictly criticised the deputy advocate general for misleading the court. The CJ also remarked on the government’s performance, saying that if the government was not serious about education, it could not be serious on any other matter.
The CJ summoned the education secretary on April 20th and directed the deputy advocate general to give a written explanation about the statement he made. The court was hearing a petition filed by Muhammad Azhar Siddique, against the non-implementation of Article 25-A of the constitution which promises free education to children of 5 to 16 years of age.
The petitioner said neither the federal nor provincial government has taken any steps for the implementation of the article as June 2011is the deadline for its implementation. He said various education systems are in place in the country that offer different syllabi and teaching methodologies, creating class divisions. He said education has become a lucrative business due to the negligence of the government.
CHIEF SECRETARY SUMMONED: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed on Tuesday summoned the Punjab Chief Secretary and Irrigation Secretary on April 30 on a contempt petition.
The chief justice passed the orders on a plea filed by Sultan Ahmad, a research officer in the irrigation department, for not forwarding his promotion case to the provincial selection board despite the court’s orders.
Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel had submitted that on April 6, the LHC chief justice had disposed of a plea by the petitioner for his promotion from grade 18 to 19 after a deputy secretary assured the court that the matter will be placed before the provincial selection board within five days. The counsel submitted that despite the assurance given before the court, the matter had not been placed before the selection board.
He requested the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the respondents, including the Punjab chief secretary and irrigation secretary.
The chief justice, after hearing the arguments summoned the chief secretary and the secretary irrigation.
