PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday directed the provincial government to promote the Pakistan Forest Institute (PFI) director from BPS-19 to BPS-20 and appoint him the institute’s director general within 15 days.

A bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Mussarat Hilali observed that in case of non-implementation of the court directives, the provincial chief secretary and environment and forests secretary should appear in person on the next hearing into the case.

The bench was hearing a contempt of court petition filed by the PFI director, Hakeem Shah, challenging the non-implementation of an earlier order of the court regarding his promotion.

Zartaj Anwar, lawyer for the petitioner, said on April 21, 2015, the high court had ordered the promotion of his client to BPS 20 and appointment as the PFI director general.

He said despite the passage of around five months, the government had been neither promoting his client nor appointing him as the PFI director general.

The lawyer said his client was the most senior officer at the PFI but despite that, since January 14, 2015, the additional charge of director general had been assigned to the additional chief secretary, which amounted to the contempt of the court.

Additional advocate general Mujahid Ali said the provincial government had filed appeal against the high court judgment but so far, the said order had not been suspended by the apex court. The bench observed that the order should be complied with in 15 days, failing which the two officials should appear before it.

The date of next hearing will be fixed later.

Meanwhile, the bench also allowed four drug inspectors to continue working on contractual basis until the filling of their posts on permanent basis through the provincial Public Service Commission.

Ijaz Anwar, lawyer for the petitioners, said his clients Shahzad Mustafa and others were appointed as drug inspectors on contractual basis for one year and their services were terminated on completion of their contract.

He requested the court to allow the petitioners to continue as drug inspectors until their posts were filled on permanent basis the provincial Public Service Commission.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2015

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