IHC retains stay over promotion of senior cops
By Fakhar Alam

ISLAMABAD—The Islamabad High Court here Tuesday retained the stay over promoting police officers from BPS-19 and BPS-20 to the next grade. It also directed the Establishment Division to submit parawise comments till April 2 with clear directions for the upcoming Police Service Promotion Committee meeting to settle the issue.
A Single Bench of Justice Dr Sajid Qureshi refused to vacant the stay on the request of the respondents’ counsel and remarked that he would resolve the issue.
Counsels for the respondents apprised the Court that few petitioners were already promoted by the Caretaker government but they had been granted a stay over the matter.
On March 5, Justice Dr Sajid Qureshi had restrained Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Secretary Establishment Division from issuing notifications of promotions of BPS-19 and 20 Police officers to the next higher grade, after recommending their names in the meeting of the Central Selection Board (CSB-I) held on February 11, 2008.
A writ petition was filed by the Director FIA Abdul Qadeer Bhatti, Director General Enforcement PEMRA Rana Altaf Majeed and District Police Officer HafizabadIftikhar Hussain Tarrar through their counsel Barrister Masroor Shah. The CSB-I in its meeting had recommended the names of various BPS 19 and 20 officers for promotion to the next higher grade including SSP Operation Lahore Dr. Tariq Khokar, DIG National Highways and Motorway Police Hafeez Bangash and other senior police and DMG officers.
It maintained that the names of petitioners who topped the seniority list, were not considered for promotion on the ground that the Supreme Court of Pakistan has allowed leave to an appeal filed against them by the federal government and the matter therefore, was sub judice. Barrister Masroor Shah, had prayed on behalf of the petitioners that despite having perfect service record the petitioners were earlier superseded by the CSB-I in 2006.
This was challenged before the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench which quashed the super-sessions and directed the CSB-I to reconsider the cases of their promotion.
Counsel for the Petitioner further contended that the Federal government moved the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the Judgments of the High Court. He contended that the judgment of the High Court was very much in force when the CSB-I failed to implement the same in letter and in spirit.
The petitioners had also drawn the attention of the Court towards the constitutional provisions which made it obligatory upon the Government to give effect and obey the judgements of the courts.