PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday issued a stay order against the appointment of the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KPEZDMC) and sought responses from the provincial government and the company’s board of governors.
A two-member bench of Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Wiqar Ahmad heard a writ petition filed by Muhammad Adnan Khan.During the hearing, his counsel Ali Gohar Durrani told the court that his client had applied for the post of CEO KPEZMIC and secured the top position on merit. However, he was surprised to find his name removed from the list for the appointment.
The lawyer argued that seven out of the 12 members of the KPEZMIC board had already recommended his client’s appointment and that he had also been interviewed. He said an unnecessary objection was later raised to block the appointment on the grounds that the petitioner was a government employee, asserting that the CEO position must be filled from the private sector as a legal requirement.
Counsel contended that at the time of applying for the post and during the interview, his client was not a government employee. He added that under the advertised criteria and proposed rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan the petitioner fully met the merit requirements.
He pleaded that the petitioner was sidelined to facilitate the appointment of a favoured candidate by certain board members. Referring to several Supreme Court judgments, the lawyer argued that a qualification not mentioned in the advertisement cannot be introduced at a later stage.
He prayed the court to appoint his client as CEO on merit and restrain authorities from appointing any other candidate. After hearing arguments, the bench stayed the appointment of the KPEZMIC CEO and sought replies from the provincial government and the board of governors.
