SHC stays decisions on appointments in examination boards

Karachi
The Sindh High Court on Thursday issued orders that the process of appointing the controller and secretaries for intermediate and secondary boards of the province may continue but no final action or decision may be taken without the court’s permission.
The direction came on a petition filed by Dr Masroor Ahmed Zai, the deputy controller of examination for the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Hyderabad, who challenged the direct appointment of controller examinations at the education board.
Dr Zai submitted in his petition that the secretary to the chief minister for universities and boards, Iqbal Durrani, had advertised posts of secretaries and controllers for intermediate and secondary boards of the province for appointments outside the service cadre.
He said in his petition that he was currently working as the deputy controller of examinations for the BISE Hyderabad for the past couple of years and the post of examinations controller was vacant. He argued that he qualified to be promoted as the examinations controller of the BISE, being a senior officer of the board.
He submitted that the chief minister’s secretary had issued advertisements for the post of controller of examinations outside the service cadre of the post which was a violation of laws and regulations.
The counsel for the petitioner, Abrar Hasan, submitted that a similar issue was already subjudice for which an interim order had also been passed by the high court.
The SHC division bench headed by Justice Munib Akhtar after preliminary hearing of the petition issued notices to chief minister’s secretary on universities and boards, Iqbal Durrani, and others while issuing orders that the process of recruitment as per the advertisements may continue, but no final decision was to be taken without the permission of the court.