Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said that if promotions, deputations and transfers were not made on merit, there could not be good governance in the country and the dream of its prosperity and development could not be achieved.
He passed the remarks on Friday during the hearing in case pertaining illegal promotions, deputations and transfers of grade 20 and 21 officers.
The case was heard by a three-judge bench comprising the CJP, Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed.
The chief justice remarked that the bureaucracy could not flourish without promoting merit.
He maintained that the previous government awarded officers by giving them undue promotions which resulted in harming the basic structure of the government. Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry remarked that the previous government created seats for 37 officers on March 11, while there was no such seat for them.
The chief justice maintained that there should be a clear cut procedure for the appointment and promotions on the higher scales.
The Supreme Court later reserved its judgment in the case.
The three-judge bench was told by the additional attorney general that a new board would be formed to review appointments.
The chief justice remarked that the selection boards were not to be formed again and again. “In fact, there should be an objective criteria for promotions of officials into higher grade,” he said.
The chief justice said bureaucracy had an important role in ensuring good governance, adding that free and fair procedure should be adopted for hiring and posting of officials.