ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday suspended the appointment of Director General (DG) of Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), an attached department of Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), till the next date of hearing of the case.
A single bench of the IHC comprising Justice Babar Sattar heard the petition filed by Dr. Shehzad Afzal.
Justice Sattar noted: “The office order issued by the Minister of Science of Technology dated 28.02.2023 pursuant to which Mr. Mir Ghulam Farooq has been appointed as Director General, PSQCA on acting [charge] basis shall remain suspended till the next date of hearing.” The court directed to relist the matter on May 25, 2023.
The court order said: “Let the respondents file a proper report explaining the exigencies and the procedure adopted for purposes of appointing an individual on deputation to the permanent post of Director General, Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA)”.
It added, “In view of the fact that there was a conflict of opinion between the Establishment Division and the Ministry of Science and Technology whereby the Establishment Division has taken a position that the post of Director General, PSQCA is not a post to be filled through deputation but is to be filled on a permanent basis and subsequently an O.M dated 07.11.2022 was also issued stating that Mr. Mir Ghulam Farooq ought to be appointed as a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Science and Technology but not as Director General, PSQCA.”
It may be added here that MoST had earlier given look-after charge of DG of its attached department PSQCA to Ghulam Farooq, who is serving in the ministry on deputation from Balochistan.
According to a notification issued on February 28, 2023, federal minister for MoST Agha Hassan Baloch had assigned look-after charge of the post of DG PSQCA to Mir Ghulam Farooq, joint secretary (Admin) MoST, for a period of three months or till appointment of regular incumbent in MP-1 scale, whichever is earlier.
As per details, the process of appointment of DG PSQCA was initiated by the Ministry after conversion of post of DG PSQCA into MP-I Scale with the approval of MP and SPS Scale Conversion Committee in its meeting held on 26.08.2021. The Finance Division also allowed the conversion of post into MP-I Scale via its letter dated 15.11.2021. The post of DG PSQCA was advertised on 27-11-2022 and a total of 98 applications were received of which shortlisting of the applications is under process.
It may be mentioned here that MoST has not been able to fill the post of DG PSQCA since the retirement of DG Abdul Aleem Memon on September 25, 2021.
