The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday restrained the Establishment Division from issuing notifications to repatriate employees working on deputation to their parent departments, directing the federal government to submit a report and para-wise comments within two weeks. The court also ordered the petitioners to continue working in their current positions.
Justice Inaam Ameen Minhas issued the written order while hearing a petition filed by Khalid Mahmood and others. According to the petitioners' counsel, the employees had been serving in their respective departments for over 15 years and had acquired a legal right to regularisation.
The counsel argued that the repatriation notification violated the principles of natural justice. The court issued a notice to the federal government, seeking its response within two weeks, and adjourned further proceedings until next month.
Meanwhile, the IHC on Thursday issued notices to the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Director General of Immigration and Passports, seeking replies on a petition challenging the offloading of a citizen, Khalid Mahmood, from a flight to Thailand.
Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar issued the notices during a preliminary hearing, directing the senior FIA and Immigration Department officers responsible for the action to appear at the next hearing. The court adjourned the proceedings to November 5.
In a separate matter, the IHC on Thursday reserved its decision on a petition filed by a lawyer holding an Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) domicile, who challenged her exclusion from the civil judge recruitment examination in Islamabad. Justice Ayaz Shaukat heard the petition filed by Zaufshan Siddiqui, during which the lawyer requested permission to take the test.
The judge observed that the petition had become infructuous as the final paper was scheduled for October 30. Legal experts believe that the court's intervention in the deputation matter provides temporary relief to a large number of employees who have spent a significant portion of their careers working outside their parent departments.
The federal government and relevant departments are now expected to compile comprehensive responses explaining the administrative policies surrounding long-term deputations and the legal frameworks governing regularisation. Further developments in these cases are anticipated in the coming weeks as the respondents submit their official replies and the bench resumes hearing the arguments from both sides.