LAHORE: Former Lahore DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf has filed a complaint-cum-appeal with Prime Minister Imran Khan against the Establishment Division Secretary Afzal Latif for awarding him `harsh’ punishment of dismissal from service unheard and without holding any inquiry, bulldozing the law of the land.

He apprised the PM that he was awarded a major penalty when his daughter was undergoing a complicated surgery abroad in a life-threatening condition while his mother was under treatment for grade-3 cancer.

Currently on ex-Pakistan leave in Canada, Ashraf said the ED ignored all legal and medical grounds he had submitted in his support and sacked him through a letter dated Jan 28, 2022, leaving him and his family in a shock.

Dr Ashraf who had commanded Lahore police as DIG Operations for almost four years raised a point that the matter of his ex-Pakistan leave was also subjudice in the Federal Service Tribunal Islamabad which he had pointed out to the ED secretary but he ignored it.

Filed through senior lawyer of Supreme Court Safdar Shaheen Pirzada here a couple of days back, the appeal appeared at a time when the top police circles were strongly criticising the ED for not treating equally Pakistan Administrative Service officers who were on prolonged ex-Pakistan leave.Dawn tried to seek ED Secretary Afzal Latif’s version but he neither attended phone calls nor responded to questions sent to him through WhatsApp.

“My 10-year-old daughter Eman Haider fell sick suddenly last year. Her hearing declined and she had to undergo an array of diagnostic tests”, Dr Ashraf said in his appeal.

She was initially treated by Dr Justin Khetani at an ENT center. She was subsequently referred to McMaster University Children Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, where a CT scan showed abnormal growth causing erosive changes in her ear.

Eman was diagnosed with a rapidly growing erosive cyst in head and ear area called as erosive cholesteatoma. The growth was removed after a six-hour-long surgery in January 2022, the month he was dismissed from service.

“My mother is also a stage-3 cancer patient and it is my religious duty to look after her as well.”

He provided the ED with relevant medical record along with the response to the show-cause notice.Dr Ashraf said he had initially proceeded to Canada on study leave where he was endeavoring to accomplish LLM.

“My education, which was not funded by the state, got delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic .. as institutes in Canada remained closed.”

He further apprised the prime minister that he had filed a service appeal with the Federal Service Tribunal, Islamabad, when the establishment division secretary rejected his request to extend ex-Pakistan leave, which was his fundamental right under the law.

“The Hon’ble Tribunal, vide order dated Jan 27, 2022, had directed the secretary establishment to take into account the inability of the appellant on the basis of medical grounds i.e. ailment of appellant’s daughter, sickness of mother, personal health issues, Covid-related travel restrictions and change in educational plans because of pandemic” he said.

However, the ED did not take into consideration the said grounds and issued a notification next day about his dismissal on charges of misconduct.Dr Ashraf said seeking leave on medical grounds did not constitute misconduct under the law and prayed to the prime minister to set aside the impugned notification of his dismissal.

He further requested the PM to reinstate him and allow his leave with or without pay in the interest of justice and fair play.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2022