The Pakistan Government has relegated its Establishment Secretary, Sohail Ahmed, to a sinecure post of 'officer on special duty' (OSD), after he had submitted to the Supreme Court a notification transferring Hussain Asghar, the Inspector General of Police of Gilgit-Baltistan, back to the Federal Investigation Agency in the face of a stern contempt of court charge for not complying with its orders.
Ahmed had been asked by the court on Monday to appear before it on Tuesday along with the notification transferring Asghar back to the FIA to enable him to resume the Haj scam investigation. When the five-judge bench was informed by Ahmed that the summary was still lying with the competent authority, the court gave him a few hours to either produce the notification or face the music.
The warning worked and Ahmed came up with the notification which apparently satisfied the court but angered the government which immediately sidelined him and made him officer on special duty, the Dawn reports.
A spokesman of the government described Ahmed's action as a "violation of the laid down rules and regulations".
A press release issued by the government said: "The Establishment Division had moved a summary to the competent authority for transfer of IG Gilgit-Baltistan. The summary was under consideration and the opinion of the Ministry of Law and Justice was solicited. In the meantime, ex-secretary Establishment Division himself issued the notification of the transfer Mr. Hussain Asghar."
The spokesman said that to appoint and transfer IGs and chief secretaries, consultation between the chief executive of concerned province or region and the federal administrative head was essential.
"Moreover, for appointments and transfers, under the 1973 Rules ofusiness, Gilgit-Baltistan's Empowerment and Self-Governance Order009 and other related rules are also applicable." (ANI)
