ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday served notices on Chairman Pakistan Ordnance Factory (POF) Board, Lieutenant General Muhammad Ahsan Mehmood, for allegedly not complying with the court orders.
Chief Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan issued notices to chairman POF Board along with two senior officers of the POF for allegedly disrespecting the court orders in a service matter of Sohail Tariq, manager administrator POF.
The court issued these notices on a petition of Sohail Tariq who moved the court through his counsel Raja Saif-ur-Rehman Advocate.
In this matter, the CJ IHC had restrained Lt Gen Mehmood, Niaz Ahmed Hashmi, director human resources, and Abdul Rehman Shahid, deputy director human resources, to promote and appoint an officer at the post of deputy director administration on February 14, 2014.
The petitioner Sohail Tariq who was also a candidate for the post of deputy director administration maintained before the court that the appointment and promotion was granted in violation to the court orders.
In the contempt petition, his counsel told the court that POF authorities despite having complete knowledge of the high court orders showed their disregard and disobedience and chairman POF handed over charge of the post to a junior officer.
"The chairman POF board is not authorised to hold departmental promotion committee (DPC) meeting as per rules for promotion of POF officers from BPS-17 to BPS-19," maintained the counsel. He continued that given the fact the chairman POF board had been violating the rules and regulations by granting promotions to his blue-eyed people.
He contended that POF authorities not only disregarded the IHC orders but they also expressed their concerns as to why the petitioner went into litigation.
Raja Saif said that on February 18, Deputy Director Human Resource Abdur Rehman Shahid assumed charge of the post of deputy director administration that was handed to him by Lt Gen Mehmood and POF Director Human Resource Niaz Ahmed Hashmi.
He maintained that Gen Mehmood being a highly responsible officer in uniform had flagrantly flouted the orders of the IHC by allowing his subordinate to assume the post in question. Therefore, he prayed to the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the respondents and the orders of POF authorities issued for the promotion on the post of deputy director administration might be suspended.
After hearing the arguments, the CJ IHC issued notices to the respondents and sought their reply in a fortnight and adjourned the matter with date in office.