The Islamabad High Court on Monday stayed non-engineering staff employment for engineering slots in the national flag carrier till final adjudication of a plea challenging merit violation in filling vacant posts of engineers.
Earlier on November 08,2021, the court has sought reply from the federal government in response to the plea challenging legality of non-engineering staff employment for engineering slots in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
Advocate Umer Gilani has made the federation of Pakistan through the secretary Ministry of Aviation, Pakistan International Airlines Corporation through its chief executive officer and Pakistan Engineering Council through its registrar as respondents on behalf of his client Engr Mian Khuram Ahsan.
Filing a civil miscellaneous application before the court in the matter, Advocate Gilani submitted that earlier on November 8, 2021, after hearing preliminary arguments of the petitioner, the court has issued notices to the respondents and sought specifics comments from PIA within a fortnight.
He apprised the single-member bench of the Justice Aamer Farooq that on the next hearing of the case on December 2, 2021 the court accepted request of the PIA for more time to file comment in the matter. Gilani further submitted that the PIA failed to furnished the reply saying almost a month after the expiry of the court’s deadline, the comments have not been filed by the PIA till date.
Substantiating his application in hand Advocate Gilani informed the bench that while on the one hand the PIA is employing dilatory tactics in court, on the other hand, it has sped up process of appointing and promoting non-engineers to the posts of Chief Engineer and Deputy Chief Engineer. “This is not only a blatant violation of the law and the ruling of the courts, it shows the PIA’s scant regard for the proceedings of this Hon’ble Court”, Gilani argued.
In the main petition, the petitioner’s counsel has contended that the PIA is employing a very large number of non-engineers at the posts of ‘aircraft engineer’, adding that one out of eight chief engineers, 25 out of 53 deputy chief engineers and 334 out 476 aircraft engineers, are non-engineers performing duties with PIA at the moment.
“In stark violation of this law and going against the general principles of merit, the national flag carrier is appointing such persons whose only educational qualification is Matric and who, in many cases started out as “helpers” and “cleaners and eventually rose through the ranks through organisational politics,” Advocate Gilani has told the bench.
After hearing arguments of the lawyer on Monday in the matter, Justice Aamer Farooq of the IHC sought reply from the PIA and held that any appointments made during proceedings will remain subject to the outcome of the case. Hearing of the matter was adjourned till date in office.
