BANNU: The Peshawar High Court’s Bannu Bench has granted interim relief in two cases challenging provincial departments’ powers to transfer, post, and suspend employees following the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A bench comprising Justice Sabitullah Khan and Justice Aurangzeb Khan heard petitions raising legal questions about the departments’ authority to exercise such powers in districts designated under the federal government’s orders.

The bench suspended the orders concerning the suspension of the Bannu regional municipal officer (RMO) and the transfer of an assistant director of the local government and rural development department, ruling that the status quo be maintained in both cases.

Bannu RMO Atiqur Rehman Baloch and assistant director Inamullah had filed petitions.

Their counsel, Pir Hameedullah Shah, contended that the President of Pakistan imposed an emergency and the governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Oct 11 under the Constitution’s Articles 232 and 234. Subsequently, he stated the federal government had placed the administrative and operational control of 12 designated districts, including Bannu, under the area development secretariat (ADS) with the additional chief secretary as its administrator.

He stated that under the federal order, the authority to transfer and post provincial officials serving in the designated districts rested with the prime minister. However, he argued that despite these provisions, the secretary local government suspended RMO Baloch on Oct 30, while the local government and rural development department’s director general transferred assistant director Inamullah to the directorate general on Oct 15.

The petitioners’ counsel argued that the impugned orders had been issued in violation of the federal order and without approval from the competent authority, rendering them unlawful.

After considering the legal grounds in both petitions, the court issued pre-admission notices to the respondents, including the ADS administrator, the secretary and director general of local government and other relevant authorities, directing them to submit comments within two weeks.

The court also issued notices to Assistant Attorney General Taj Mohammad Khan and Additional Advocate General Zahidul Haq, seeking their assistance at the next hearing.

As interim relief, the court ordered that the existing position in both cases be maintained until a final decision is reached.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2026