Justice Ayesha A Malik of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday suspended the transfer order of a Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) chief engineer. The order had been passed allegedly on the direction of Water and Power Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif in violation of the authority’s policy and during a ban on postings and transfers.
Justice Malik suspended the transfer order of Chief Engineer Muhammad Nasim Akhtar and directed the Ministry of Water and Power and Lesco Chief Engineer Rao Zameer to submit a report and comments on the matter.
The judge issued a stay order on the petition of Senior Superintending Engineer Muhammad Nasim Akhtar challenging his transfer. Counsel for the petitioner, Advocate Hafiz Tariq Nasim, submitted that the petitioner had been posted as Wapda chief engineer (development) in March 2013.
The counsel said that the federal government had imposed a ban on posting and transfers on July 29.
Rao Zameer, a junior superintending engineer, had been posted as chief engineer (development) in the petitioner’s place on August 2, ignoring the ban on pressure by the minister. Apparently National Assembly Member Rao Muhammad Tajammul had requested the transfer. The counsel contended that the order was not transparent being a result of political pressure by the MNA and the minister.
The counsel said that the petitioner had been disturbed on account of the political pressure and the engineer who had replaced him as chief engineer development was a junior engineer. That showed malafide intent on the minister’s part, he had contended.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 8th, 2013.