11 officers of Sindh PA appointed, promoted illegally, SHC told

KARACHI: The senior special secretary of Sindh Assembly has informed the Sindh High Court (SHC) that the appointments and promotions of assembly’s 11 officers were illegal, and in violation of the Supreme Court order.

The senior special secretary of Sindh Assembly, Muhammad Khan Rind, in his official reply, has acknowledged before the SHC that the appointments and promotions of 11 officers were illegal and in violation of the appointments and promotions rules of Sindh Assembly and also against the SC’s orders.

While replying to the SHC against a Constitutional petition, filed by the employees of Sindh Assembly challenging the appointments and promotions of Sindh Assembly officers, Rind said in compliance with the SHC’s orders, he had directed the additional secretary administration of SA and superintendent administration to submit the personal files of all appointees and out-of-turn promoted officers, but both the officials seemed to have deliberately failed to comply with the directions. Rind in his official reply said that following the willful default of additional secretary, who is also a respondent of the case, he submitted two separate notes for the approval of speaker through secretary of Sindh Assembly, who is another respondent of the case, and apprised him of the orders of Sindh High Court and requested for withdrawal of illegal appointments, but till the filing of his reply no action was taken.

Citing the official record of fantastic promotions, Rind said that M H M Hassan Shah, who is working as Additional Secretary in Grade 20, was initially appointed on August 11, 2006, as Assistant Secretary Grade 17, but was illegally and unlawfully appointed on backdate without completing the codal formalities. Shah received his first salary in November 2007 after more than one year of his appointment in August 11, 2006.

It is clarified that only three candidates were selected by the appointment 2006, but he (Shah) backdated his appointment by one year and included himself with the already-appointed assistant secretaries without approval of the speaker. His personal files are not available with the Admin Branch of the provincial assembly but it was found that Shah is keeping the file himself. Shah on November 30, 2012 was promoted as Deputy Secretary in Grade 18, being blue-eyed he was given out-of-turn promotion in violation of rules and judgments of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Shah's senior Muhammad Qasim Mangrio is still working as Assistant Secretary BS-18 despite being appointed on May 25, 2006. On March 13, 2013, he managed to upgrade his post from BS-18 to BS-19, and within 15 days on March 28, 2013, he was promoted as Additional Secretary in Grade 19.

Within the next 10 months, Rind informed the SHC that he again managed his promotion as Additional Secretary in Grade 20 on January 28, 2014. This is such a glaring case of injustice that his superior officers Mrs. Siraj Fatima and M Qasim Mangrio continue to work in BS-18.

Referring to another bizzare case of promotion from Grade 1-20, the provincial assembly officer informed the SHC bench that Muhammad Habib Samejo, who is presently working as Additional Secretary in Grade 20, was initially appointed on April 18, 1982 as Chowkidar (watchman) in Grade 1. According to his payslip and CNIC, his date of birth is April 02, 1969, which proves his age was only 13 years at the time of his first appointment i.e. 1982-1969 equal to 13 years. It clearly shows that he tampered with his date of birth from 1964 to 1969, which is a criminal offense.

In 1999, Samejo was promoted as Assistant against an abolished post, which was restored in 2005. On February 19, 2009, Samejo was unlawfully promoted as superintendent in Grade 16 in violation of all rules and formalities. On March 13, 2013, the post of superintendent was upgraded in the overall province from BS-16 to 17. On April 01, 2013 he was promoted on out-of-turn basis, without issuing a seniority list of ‘superintendents’ in violation of rules, illegally and unlawfully as Assistant Secretary Grade-18. Next year on May 06, 2014, he was illegally promoted as Deputy Secretary in Grade 19 and to Grade 20 on March 2017.

Another flabbergasting case is that of Deputy Director in Grade 19, Aijaz Ahmed Palh. Muhammad Khan Rind, the Senior Special Secretary of Sindh Assembly, told the SHC that Palh was initially appointed as Officer on Special Duty (BS-17) on February 23, 2009 but his post was upgraded on December 02, 2010 to BS-18 on out-of-turn basis within one year and was posted as Town Municipal Officer (TMO), Sukkur, illegally. Later, on June 22, 2016, after repatriation from the post of TMO, he was illegally unlawfully promoted as Deputy Director Research & Publication in Grade 19 on out-of-turn basis and in violation of rules.

Irfan Ahmad Memon is another case of promotion in blatant violation of rules. Memon is working as Consultant in Grade 19 but was initially appointed as a reporter in Grade 17 on December 11, 2012 but on July 2017 he was unlawfully and out-of-turn promoted from BS-17 to BS-19 without completing the codal formalities. His promotion was challenged by Mrs Anisa Naz Ansari before the Sindh Service Tribunal Karachi vide service appeal No.857 of 2017. After one year, he was again promoted as Consultant in BS-19 unlawfully in violation of rules and without completing codal formalities.

They are not the only ones. It seems to be an endless list. Ashfaque Ahmad presently working as Protocol Officer in Grade 17, was appointed initially on May 22, 2013, as Assistant Protocol Officer in Grade 16 in violation of rules. On November 2016, he was promoted to Grade 17. His three superior officers Ghulam Muhammad Khuhro, Ghulam Raza and Muhammad Afzal continue to work as Assistant Protocol officers in BS-16.

Syed Fatah Ali Shah, presently working as Superintendent in Grade 17, is yet another example of law being thrown out of window. He was appointed as Sindhi typist on October 6, 2007 and in 2015 he was illegally promoted as Superintendent to Grade 17 against promotion in violation of the Assembly rules.

Abdul Sattar Mahar, presently working as Staff Officer in Grade 17, initially in 2017 was appointed as Assistant in Grade 14, but was bestowed unlawful promotion as Superintendent in Grade 17. His appointment was challenged by senior Assistant Syed Asif Imam Fatmi before the Sindh Services Tribunal Karachi.

The Tribunal canceled his promotion and he was reverted to his original post, but in May 2017 was once again promoted as Staff Officer again in BS-17 without completing codal formalities on the "day of reversion".

There is yet another case of Khair Muhammad Gaho, who is working as Deputy Secretary in Grade 19. He was initially appointed Assistant Secretary in Grade 18, and brought forward from Private Secretary (PS) to the post of Assistant Secretary, Chairman Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

He was once again promoted Deputy Secretary in Grade 19 in violation of rules. After filing of appeal by most-senior Assistant Secretary Moula Bux Chachar before the Sindh Service Tribunal, his promotion was withdrawn by the competent authority.

The shocking list hasn't ended yet. Ameer Ali Abbasi, working in Grade 16 as Stenographer, was initially appointed as Junior Clerk cum junior stenographer in Grade 12 and in 2015 was given out of turn promotion to Assistant Superintendent in Grade 16 from BS-12 to BS-16 in violation of all rules and orders of Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan. Surprisingly, he is the most junior stenographer.

In another case of gross injustice, Tariq Hussain Mahar, who was appointed as Superintendent in Grade 17, was promoted to Assistant Secretary BS-18 illegally on June 2019. Sadly, his six seniors continue to work as Superintendents in Grade 17.