–CJP says court will also review postings and transfers for officers of grade 17 and above and decide whether they were based on merit or not
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar has said that all recruitment carried out by government departments within the last one month was conditional upon its final judgement in a case pertaining to the ban put by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on hiring people ahead of elections to discourage ‘pre-poll rigging’.
Justice Nisar made the announcement while hearing a case at the SC’s Lahore Registry on Thursday.
On April 11, to curb pre-poll rigging through the use of public funds as incentives, the ECP had barred all the federal and provincial governments from hiring in all institutions, working on development plans approved on April 1 or later and transferring funds for ongoing projects.
However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on May 10 revoked the ECP ban, but it was subsequently restored by the apex court, which ruled that the ban would remain in effect till it decides the case.
The chief justice also announced that the court will also review the postings and transfers for officers of grade 17 and above and decide whether they were based on merit or not.
The CJP wondered and asked Punjab chief secretary if some favourite officials of the Punjab government were being bestowed with favours days before the end of the government’s term. He added that all such postings and transfers seem to be based on mala fide intent in light of the SC verdict.
“The current government could have left such transfers for the caretaker government,” Justice Nisar remarked.
The court subsequently ordered the authorities to submit details of all transfers and postings approved by all provinces over the last month.