Over procrastination of 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 Planning and Development Department of Balochistan. The department has appointed deputy commissioners as project directors. Advocate Gilani termed the act as a 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 outset of the hearing, Chief Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail addressed Gilani, “You are trying to fix the provincial government”. Advocate Gilani submitted, “Somewhere we have”.
Earlier, provincial law officer Shahak Baloch sought time to submit a reply in the matter. During the course of proceedings on Monday, Shahak Baloch showed inability to apprise the court due to the reason that the concerned officer of Communication & Works department was not available to assist him on rules as he was out of the city to attend a funeral.
Chief Justice Mandokhail asked Baloch to deliver argument in the matter being provincial law officer. Shahak Baloch submitted that without assistance of the concerned officer he cannot advance the arguments. Later, seeking government’s reply in the matter the bench adjourned the case for Tuesday.
