KARACHI: A division bench of High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Aziz-ur-Rahman, Thursday, adjourned  till Sept 16, hearing of a plea seeking up-gradation of the post of Public Relations Officer (PRO) from Basic Pay Scale (BPS) 16 to BPS 17.

Abdul Khaliq who joined Board of Investment (BOI) in 2008 as PRO moved the court, maintaining that since 2009 he has moved the authorities in BOI for upgrading the post as in all other government departments and organization, the post of PRO is in BPS 17.

He maintained that applications filed by him time to time were forwarded and in one such application Director Administration has ascertained the post to be of PBS 17. The decision was however being delayed inordinately which prompted me to file the constitution petition, he argued today. He said that “ discrimination “ in terms of Article 25 is his main ground in the petition.

The counsel for respondents including, Chairman, BOI maintained that post is in BPS 16 in BOI and that entire seniority list would be disturbed besides a long and tiring exercise was to be undertaken at departmental level. BOI is a different organization which works under the Prime Minister Office control, the counsel for BOI submitted.

The bench after hearing the sides drew their attention to a judgment by SHC in an identical case and asked the parties to read the same and then make final arguments leading to a judgment. The bench then granted a week time to them and fixed Sept 16 as next date of hearing.