How a govt department has operated on ‘makeshift’ basis for over a decade

In a shocking revelation uncovered during a seemingly normal session of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), it has come to light that the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has been running on a makeshift basis for more than a decade. 

The PSQCA is an attached department of the Ministry of Science and Technology, which is responsible for ensuring quality standards of over 190 food and non-food items. Recently, a petition was filed in front of the IHC against the appointment of an acting Director General (DG) at the PSQCA. 

However, during the course of proceedings it came to light that the department had been appointing DGs on an acting basis for more than 14 years. The petitioner's counsel, Advocate Saif ur Rehman, presented compelling evidence before Justice Babar Sattar, exposing the long-standing practice of filling the post of DG PSQCA on an acting charge basis. 

Successive governments, in clear violation of the law, have repeatedly assigned acting charge to a chosen civil servant, disregarding the requirement for a competitive selection process. During the proceedings, it was revealed that the court had previously issued a status quo order against assigning the acting charge to a civil servant. However, in a further breach of the court's order, an Office Order dated 28.03.2023 assigned the look after charge to Mr. Zain-ul-Abiden, joint scientific adviser (BS-20) in the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Advocate Saif ur Rehman, highlighting the continuous defiance of the court's directives, argued that this new appointment of Mr. Zain-ul-Abiden was a clear violation of the previous order. He emphasized that the position of DG PSQCA should not be filled on a look after basis by assigning such a charge to a civil servant within the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Acknowledging the deliberate disregard of the court's orders, Justice Babar Sattar expressed concern over the repeated violation of the law and issued show cause notices under Sections 3, 5, and 12 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003, to the Minister for Science and Technology and the Secretary of the Ministry. They were given five days to respond and explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them.

The court order also suspended the impugned Office Order dated 10.04.2023, which had once again frustrated the court's previous order by appointing Ghulam Farooq Langove to coordinate the affairs of the PSQCA and establish sub-offices. This action by a Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology was deemed unauthorized and in violation of the PSQCA Act, 1996.

The court's firm stance on contemptuous actions was evident as it sought accountability and upheld the integrity and legality of the appointment process at the PSQCA. The case is scheduled to resume on 21.06.2023, providing an opportunity for the Minister, the Secretary, and other implicated individuals to respond to the show cause notices and defend their actions. Until then, Ghulam Farooq and Mr. Zain-ul-Abiden remain restrained from functioning in their respective roles at the PSQCA, ensuring that the court's orders are respected and followed.