ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Justice Hashim Kakar remarked on Tuesday in the OGDCL recruitment case that if the prime minister issues illegal orders, civil servants are not bound to comply with them.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Hashim Kakar, heard the case regarding illegal recruitments in OGDCL (Oil and Gas Development Corporation Limited). The court directed the lawyers to come prepared for the case.
The counsel for NAB (National Accountability Bureau) stated that former minister Anwar Saifullah had asked the Chairman of OGDCL to issue appointment letters. According to him, the recruitment process should have been carried out through advertisements.
Justice Kakar remarked that this is not a monarchy where orders are simply issued, adding that there is overstaffing in every government institution. Justice Salahuddin Panhwar said that the public asks ministers for jobs.
The NAB counsel submitted that the minister’s principal staff officer had written that there was parliamentary pressure regarding the jobs.
The counsel stated that if civil servants refuse to follow such orders, they may face serious consequences when Justice Kakar remarked that they were not bound to obey illegal orders by prime minister.
The NAB’s representative added that PIA had to be privatized due to overstaffing. Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim remarked that those recruitments were made at a time when the accountability commission law did not exist.
Justice Ibrahim said that the federal minister has already served his sentence. Justice Kakar remarked that a stain of conviction still remains and questioned whether it was not enough that the minister had already completed his sentence.
Later, the counsel requested the court to dismiss the review petition and uphold the original verdict.
