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SC declares promotion of FBR officers to grade-22 by Selection Board null and void

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declared the promotion of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officers from BPS-21 to BPS 22 by Selection Board as null and void and sought explanation for sitting of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Khwaja Zaheer in the Board’s meeting.

A full-bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar heard a petitions against promotion of FBR officers from BPS-21 to 22.

The court expressed its surprise over sitting of Dar and Khwaja Zaheer in the Selection Board’s meeting.

The CJP remarked that Ishaq Dar and Khwaja Zaheer were not eligible to attend the Board’s meeting, questioning that under which law the duo sat in the Board’s meeting.

He remarked that their (Dar, Zaheer) participation in the meeting was nothing more than a stranger’s.

Upon this, Secretary Establishment told the court that the duo attended the meeting as special invitee of the Prime Minister.

To this, Justice Ejazul Hassan remarked that what information about the officers was with Dar of which Chairman FBR was unaware.

The judge while addressing the Secretary Establishment said: “You even didn’t tell the court the reasons for ignoring senior officers in promotion.”

To which, the Secretary said that in future no stranger will sit in the Board’s meeting. The CJP told the Secretary to let the future’s meeting aside for now, tell the court about the matter in hands.

During the course of proceeding, the court directed the concerned authorities to call the Board’s meeting afresh for considering the cases of officers’ promotion. The court further directed to submit details of the decisions taken in the meeting.

The petition was filed by a female officer Reghna Ahmed of Income Tax Group. The Chief Justice remarked during the proceeding that it seemed the woman officer was targeted to deny her promotion.