IHC upholds govt's decision of sacking MD USC

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court Friday upheld the federal government's decision regarding the termination of Managing Director Utility Store Corporation, Major General (retd) Farooq.

The court also ordered the secretary ministry of industries to assign the look-after charge of MD Utility Store to the most senior officer.

A single-member bench of IHC comprising Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui resumed hearing of a plea filed by General (retd) Farooq against his termination through his lawyer Akram Sheikh.

During the course of hearing, Akram Shiek, counsel for petitioner, apprised the bench that his client's contract was terminated without any prior intimation.

To this, Justice Siddiqui asked the counsel of General Farooq whether his client was appointed through competitive process.

Akram Sheikh apprised the bench that according to the notification of Establishment Division, there was no requirement of competitive procedure to hire retired judges, civil servants and army officers on any post.

The judge observed that there should be no special treatment for retired judges, civil servants and army officers adding that all appointments should be made on merit by adopting competitive procedure.

Deputy Attrony General for Pakistan Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri appeared on behalf of the federation and apprised the bench that neither the advertisement for the post of MD Utility Store was given nor rules were followed in the appointment.

He argued that the Supreme Court had also given a decision in Hajj Corruption case that after retirement, no officer should be appointed on contract in any organization.

After hearing the arguments, the court vacated the stay order against termination of Major General Farooq and ordered the secretary ministry of industries to appoint new MD within a month through competitive procedure.