KARACHI: The Customs authorities are overlooking several limitations and rules in pursuing the inquiry re-opened against 11 Appraising Officers appointed in 1998. These 11 officers are facing disciplinary proceedings in terms of removal from service.
Collector Appraisement West Agha Jawad has summoned these 11 officials for the final hearing on October 15, 2015.
According to the details of the case, they were appointed in 1998 and soon after even before they were assigned any postings, corruption charges were established them, Afterwards, it was alleged that they had not cleared the departmental examination.
In 2001 the case was shelved and the Appraisers were assigned postings in 2003. Now the cases have been reopened and they have been summoned for hearing.
According to an Office Memo dated April 17, 1999 issued by the Establishment Division, the departmental examination could only be used for confirmation, promotion and efficiency.
The said Memo categorically states that non-clearance of the departmental examination could not be used for termination of service. This discussion suggests that these officials cannot be removed from service hence holding hearing in terms of removal from service was unwarranted.
Moreover, it was a case made back in 2001 and their re-opening in 2015 raised several questions of law.
These 11 Appraisers are from the badge of 108 appointed in 1998 and include Alamdar Hussain, Jamshed Hussain cheema, Tariq Mahmood, Muhammad Ibrahim Kurd, Ehtesham-ul-Haq, Manzoor Subhani, Syed Hammad, Abdul Rasheed Shaikh, Ghulam hussain Dogar, Syed Irshad Ali Shah and Khalid Awan . They are facing allegations that they did not cleared the post-training exam. A list was issued in 2001 naming 1040 FBR officials, who were dismissed in the tenure of Pervez Msuharraf. These 11 were included in that list.
It is strange to note that Tariq Mahmood and Manzoor Subhani never even joined the Customs and still their postings are being notified for the last 15 years.