Daily Times

The Lahore High Court was informed on Friday by the law officer that the government has not so far extended the contractual appointment of Dr Rizwan Naseer as Director General of the Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122).

During the hearing of two petitions the one filed by Dr Naseer for regularization of his services and the other by District Emergency Officer Lahore Dr Ahmad Raza challenging extension in contract awarded to Dr Naseer, an additional advocate general told the court that extension in DG’s contract was awarded without proper approval of the competent authority and the home department never moved the summary in this regard.

Justice Ayesha A Malik expressed her displeasure over the law officer and remarked that why the government has not mentioned the same in its para wise comments filed to the set petitions.

Raza’s counsel Ch Shoaib Saleem argued that the respondent had been appointed for more than five times as DG of the Rescue 1122 in the past, which showed that only he could be found eligible for the post from across the province and there was no other person capable enough to run the affairs of body. He said last contract of the respondent expired on Oct 16, 2019 after which he remained no more official and had nothing to do with the organization.

However, Ch Shoaib advocate said, after almost 80 days of expiry of the contract, the home department illegally extended contract of the respondent on Jan 6, 2020. Whereas, he said, a summary for extension of the respondent’s contract or reappointment was still pending with the provincial secretary services. The lawyer said that the Chief Minister had also ordered an inquiry into issuance of the impugned notification without approval of the summary. The law officer also endorsed this fact mentioned by the petitioner’s counsel.

This prompted Justice Malik to reprimand the law officer and asked him whether he was representing the government or the petitioner. Meanwhile, Dr Naseer came to the rostrum and stated before the court that he was not interested for regularization of service as DG Rescue 1122. However, he said, the government could appoint him as Director General of the emergency service academy.

The law officer said that presently Dr Naseer is not ever holding this post, then how come he could be appointed against it. Moreover, he added that a summary had already been moved by the government for initial recruitment of DG emergency service academy, the post being sought by Dr Naseer. He said the government will appoint an officer meeting the criteria on merit.

Justice Malik reserved her verdict on the petition against extension in contract of appointment of Dr Naseer and directed the law officer to submit the summary moved to fill the post of the academy’s director general.

The provincial government in its reply to the petition by Dr Naseer stated that the officer did not approach the court with clean hands as there were several findings against him. It said disciplinary action was underway against him as ordered by an inquiry for showing inefficiency during fire incident in LDA office.

The government said that in a separate case the Punjab ombudsperson made judicial observations that culture of sexual harassment was prevalent in Rescue-1122 and one person had been heading the organisation for more than a decade. It said, as per another official inquiry, Dr Naseer was found guilty of biasness, maladministration, illegal recruitments and patronizing delinquents of sexual harassment. The case was adjourned for July 15.