Notices issued in petition challenging appointment at women commission

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday issued notice to chairperson of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women and secretary Social Welfare Department in a petition challenging appointment of Director Programmes (BPS-19) in the commission.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Qalandar Ali Khan and Justice Muhammad Ayub Khan issued the notice. The court directed the respondent officials to explain their position about the claims made by the petitioner.

The appointment was challenged by Attiya Zahid, one of the candidates for the post, through her lawyer Gul Rehman Mohmand. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, through chief secretary, secretary Establishment, secretary Social Welfare Department, secretary to the government on the Commission on the Status of Women, as well as chairperson and director programmes of the commission were made the parties to the petition.

The petition said as per the law, secretary of the department concerned would be chairman of the search and scrutiny committee, but in the appointment of Amna Waheed as director programmes, a member of the committee acted as chairperson of the committee in violation of the rules and law.

It was stated that the chairperson's participation as member of the committee was also a violation of the rules. Under the rules, it said, the secretary of the commission would chair the search and scrutiny committee as chairman, but the meeting was chaired by a member of commission Ms Naseem Hayat.

Also, the petitioner claimed that one member of the committee, secretary Regulations of Establishment Department Yasir Hussain, did not attend the committee meeting as his signature is missing in the members meeting, as is evident from the minutes.

It was pointed out that the formation of the committee for the appointment was wrong and also role of the secretary of the commission was ignored. The petitioner claimed that an unconstitutional committee was formed to appoint a blue-eyed candidate on the post.

It said the Establishment Department through its letter issued on January 19 to the Commission stated that the meeting and search and scrutiny process were done in violation of law on the subject as the chairperson was the appointing authority.

It was also stated that the petitioner was eligible for the post and has vast experience in the relevant sector. The court was requested to annul the appointment and respondent Amna Waheed be stopped from working till disposal of the petition.