HYDERABAD, May 19: The Hyderabad circuit bench of the Sindh High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Sindh government through the chief secretary, the secretary of health, the Sindh Pubic Service Commission and the additional advocate-general on a constitutional petition filed Dr Erum Parveen and five other doctors.

They challenged cancellation of results of examinations for medical officers by the Sindh chief minister.

The petitioners said that in response to SPSC’s advertisement seeking applications for appointment of medical officers, they had applied for the posts and appeared in written examinations.

They said that through a notification, they were declared successful but within few hours after the announcement of result by the SPSC some TV channels reported that the Sindh chief minister had declared those results null and void.

They said that on February 3 the special secretary to the Sindh chief minister issued a letter to the SPSC, communicating directives of the chief minister regarding cancellation of results on the ground of complaints of alleged irregularities.

They said that on February 23, a newspaper reported that the chief secretary and the health secretary had decided to recruit doctors on the contract basis through a committee.

The counsel of petitioners said that the chief minister had no lawful authority to cancel examinations result.

He said that under Article 242 of the Constitution, the SPSC was sole authority to recommend public servants above BPS-11 while respondent the chief secretary and the secretary of health were bypassing a lawful process.

He said that there was no provision under the SPSC Act 1989 to withhold selection process under directives of the chief minister.

He urged the court to declare that the chief secretary and the secretary of health were under legal obligation to fill 761 vacant posts of medical officers under control of the health department as per requisition.

He urged the court to declare letter of the secretary withdrawing requisition and subsequent re-advertisement for filling vacancies on the contract basis.

He said that orders of respondents, declaring the pre-interview written test should also be declared illegal and the letter of the special secretary to the chief minister was without lawful authority.

He prayed the court to issue a writ and direct respondents to act according to law.