Daily Times

Over procrastination of the provincial government in submitting response to a plea challenging bureaucrats’ appointment against slots of project directors, the Balochistan High Court on Monday asked provincial law officer to turn up with reply in the matter on April 20.

Advocates Umer Ijaz Gilani and Aimal Khan Kakar have challenged the act of the Planning and Development Department of Balochistan in appointing deputy commissioners as project directors terming it grave violation of Pakistan Engineering Council Act 1979. To which the BHC has sought the chief secretary’s response in the matter.

Appearing before the division bench of the BHC comprising Chief Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Muhammad Kamran Khan Mulakhail on behalf of the Council, Advocate Umer Ijaz Gilani apprised the bench that the provincial government has appointed bureaucrats to the post of project director on various infrastructure projects and that too, on acting charge basis.

At the outset of the hearing, Chief Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail said while addressing Advocate Gilani, “You are trying to fix the provincial government” to which Advocate Umer Ijaz Gilani submitted, “Somewhere we have”.

It is pertinent to mention that earlier the provincial law officer Shehak Baloch sought more time to file a reply in the matter whereas the Chief Justice Mandokhail has asked as to why an open and transparent procedure had not been followed before making the appointments under challenge.

During the course of proceedings on Monday, Shehak Baloch showed inability to apprise the court due to the reason that the concerned officer of the Communication & Works department was not available to assist him on rules as he was out of the city to attend a funeral.

To which, Chief Justice Mandokhail asked Baloch to deliver arguments in the matter being provincial government law officer, however, Shehak Baloch submitted that without assistance of the concerned officer he cannot advance the arguments. Then the Chief Justice issued directives to the provincial law officer to submit a reply in the matter. After a brief hearing of the matter, the bench adjourned the case for Tuesday (today).