Out-of-turn promotions case: SC seeks replies from seven FIA officials

The Supreme Court on Thursday sought written replies from seven officials as it took up the matter of out-of-turn promotions in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

A two-member bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed was hearing a petition filed by Dr Shafiqur Rahman.

During the hearing, the FIA submitted a response to the court’s earlier inquiries, saying that it accepted that the officials were promoted out of turn and conceding that these promotions should be declared void.

However, the officers’ counsel warned the courts to remain vigilant against ‘habitual petitioners’ like the one in this case.

In response to this, Justice Gulzar asked the counsel if the courts should stop functioning just because petitioners keep bringing cases to them. He also warned the officers’ lawyer to not tell the court how to do its job.

The case was adjourned indefinitely.

The apex court has heard cases regarding out-of-turn promotions in the police department and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Following the hearings, four NAB officials whose initial appointments could not be justified by their qualifications have been ordered to be denotifed, while two have opted for voluntary retirement and two more have agreed to repatriate to the departments where they were deputed from.

121 officials of Punjab police have also been ordered to be demoted after the court found they had been promoted out of turn.

Source: Dawn