Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday suspended the operation on an administrative letter regarding transfer of Karachi region Military Lands and Cantonments Director Zeenat Ahmed.
A division bench headed by Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi gave this interim injunction on a petition filed by Ahmed, who impugned her transfer letter issued by Military Lands and Cantonments director general.
The petitioner said that being a grade-20 officer, she was working as Military Lands & Cantonments Karachi region director. She told the judges that she was transferred from the post illegally through a letter issued by Military Lands & Cantonments DG in February 2014 but the letter was set aside by the SHC division bench when she approached the court against her transfer.
She said that the DG once again issued backdated transfer letter which she received on June 17. According to the letter, she was removed from the post of Military Lands & Cantonments Karachi region director and posted as director (F&P) Karachi, a post which, she said, does not exist at Karachi headquarters of the department.
The petitioner argued that the letter was unlawful as according to service rules, the Military Lands & Cantonments DG is not the competent authority to pass an order for transfer of a grade-20 officer. Only the prime minister has the power to issue such orders, she said.
Citing secretaries of Ministry of Defence, Finance and Establishment Division, Military Lands & Cantonments DG and newly-posted Military Lands & Cantonments Karachi region director as respondents, the petitioner requested the court to declare her transfer letter illegal.
After hearing initial arguments on the matter, the bench issued a notice to the respondents to reply by August 25 and ruled that “till then the operation of transfer letter of petitioner is suspended”.