SHC disposes of pleas after govt confirms posting and transfer notifications withdrawn

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday disposed of petitions against the appointments of administrators, and transfers and postings of government officers ahead of the second phase of local government polls after the assurance given by the services additional secretary that all transfer and posting notifications had been withdrawn.

During the hearing of the petitions filed by the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf and others against transfers and postings of government officers in various departments after the announcement of local bodies elections’ schedule for Karachi and Hyderabad, the services additional secretary told the court that all notifications with regard to transfers of officials had been withdrawn as per the instructions of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

To a court query, the secretary submitted that all such officers had been repatriated to their previous positions. Sindh’s advocate general also filed a statement and details of officers who had been repatriated to their previous positions.

A division bench, headed by chief justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, disposed of the petitions after the assurance from the advocate general and the services secretary that all transfers and postings of government officers had been withdrawn as per the instructions of the ECP.

Petitioners Khadim Hussin and the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf had challenged the transfers and postings of government officers, including three administrators in Karachi and Hyderabad, after the announcement of the local bodies elections’ schedule. The PTI submitted that the government had involved itself in pre-poll rigging and violated the ban imposed by the ECP on transfers and postings od government officials after the announcement of the election schedule.

The petitioner’s counsel Shahab Imam said the government had without prior approval from the ECP transferred and placed the services of government officers at the disposal of the local government department for appointments as administrators to the KMC, the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, the DMCs of Korangi, East and Central districts of Karachi.