Waheed Uz Zaman Vs NBP

JUDGMENT SHEET

PESHAWAIT HIGH COURT, AI}I}OTTAI}AI)

I}trNCH

JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT

Writ Pctition No.l270-A of 2017

JUDGMENT

Dllc of he1r ing 27. .20 t8

))elitioner(s.1 ... (Waheed-uz-Zaman) by Mr. lbdul Saboor Khan, lJrotule...... ..

l?espondent (s) ... ((]overnment of Paki,slan, through lhe Secretury li.vlablithme nl, Islomerbad et(:) b) l.'t/S lurangzeb Mughal, DAG and I'attqeer Ltr llehman. ldvocale

SYED MUHAMMAD ATTIOUT] SHAH. .I.-

Wahccd-uz-Zaman and cight others, pctitioncrs, scck thc constitLrtional jurisdiction o1' this Court undcr Article 199 olthe Constitution ollslamic Itcpublic of Pakistan, 1973, with thc following praycr:

"On acceptance of inslant wril petition' the respondents be directed to plomote lhe petitioners to lhe next highet grades(whichever grade is now deserved by each one of them according to the terms und conditions contained in their uppointment lelters) wilh all the past beneJits ond seniorily. Any other telief deemed./it Jbr the pelilioners mtrl'olso be grantetl."

I

2.In csscncc, thc gricvancc ol'thc pctitioncrs is that dircctir)n may bc issucd to thc lcspondcnts lirr thcir promotion to the ncxt higher gradc according to the terms and conditions contained in their appointmcnt letters with past benefits and seniority.

3.Lcarncd counsel for thc pctitioncrs vchcmently argued that it has bccn clcarly providcd in clausc-5 o1'thc appoinlmont lcttcrs that thcir scrviccs will bc govcrncd by thc "National Ilank o1' l)akistan (Stafl) SeNice Itules, 1980; ("Service Rules") that the promotion ol'thc pclitioners as 'AVP' was due since 01.01.2014 and they werc cligible and qualified for thc said promotion, thc rcspondcnts havc rcccntly rcvised thcir prornotion policy on Novcmbcr 30' 2017 'l rainccs) vidc which thc pctitioncls i.c.(Managcrncnt werc also includcd in thc said policy, which is violative of the tcrms and conditions of thcir vcry appointmcnt; thal the inclusion of promotion of the pclitioncrs in thc light of said policy is illcgal and againsl thcir vcslcd rights accrucd to thcm in vicw ol' clausc-5 of thcir appoinlmcnt lctlcrs; lcatncd counscl lbr thc pctilioncrs praycd lbr acccptancc o[' instant writ pelition.

4.Lcarncd counsel appcaring on bchalf of rcspondcnts has howcvcr, strongly controvcrtcd thc submissions madc a1 thc bar by thc lcarncd counsel lor thc pctitioncrs and argucd that thc impugncd promotion policy ol' thc ycar, 20 I 7 is ncithcr illcgal nor thc samc has violatccl any ol'thc rights o1' thc pctitioncrs and playcd lbr disrnissal o1' thc * rit pctltlon.

5 Argumcnts hcard. Itccord pcruscd.

6 Pcrusal ol rccord would rcvcal that thc pctitioncrs rvcrc appoinlcd as Olliccr Gradc-ll (OG-ll) Managcrncnl 'll'aincc in National llank of' l)akistan and initially thcy wcrc promotcd liom O(l-ll to O(l-1.

Now thcy arc secking thcir promotit>n as Assistant Vicc Prcsidcnt (AVP) in accordancc with clausc-5 of thcir appointmcnl lctlcrs i.c. Scrvice I{ulcs ibid' lror thc sakc of convcnicncc thc said Clausc 5 is rcploduccd bclow

"Your service in Ndiortol Runk oJ l\tkislon will he governed h.y lhe'Nutiottul Rottk ol l'akislutr (Slt(fl Service Rules', in Jbrce' an as omended Jrom time to tine."

Now thc pctilioncrs whilc rclying on Ilulc 8 (2) of thc Scrvicc I{ulcs prcsscil br thcir promotion l:or thc

sakc ol convcnicncc, thc provisions ol Ilulc ii(2) of Scrvicc Ilulcs arc rcproduccd bclow:

"8. Recruilment:- (l) Appoinlmenls ql em;;loyces shall be made hy lhe con!)clenl oulhority in occordance wilh lhe polic'y loicl dou.'n by lhe lixecutive l)oard (21 I person selecled as lruinee ofJicer in llank shall be governed by the terms and conditions oJ his lelter C/ appoinlmenl. "

'l'hc abovc provision of Itulc il ibid spccifically providcs that all appoinlmcnts o f cmployccs shall bc madc by thc compclcnt authority in accordancc with thc policy laid down by thc lixccutivc Iloard, whcrcas, l{ulc 2 providcs that a pcrson sclcctcd as traincc olliccr in Ilank shall bc govemcd by thc tcrms and conditions of thcir lctters o1' appointmcnts.

7 I Iowcvcr, it is also worth mcntioning that I{ulc 21 ol'thc ibid Scrvice Ilulcs has spccilically providcd crilcria lbr Promotions;

"21. l'romotions:- (t),711 promotions sh.tll ba made on lhe meril.\ of each case qnd no employee shall have a claim to be promoled lo anlt parlicular posl or grade by virlue Qf seniority alone. Promotion to all calegories ctntl grades shqll be made by lhe compelenl at hority in accordance Y'ilh lhe promolion policy loitl dou,n |iom lime to lime by the /bllott,ing;

(a)President Upto Ollicer (irade-l

(b)lixeurlit,e Boartl Senior Grade III antl above "

C

l'rom thc abovc lcl'crrcd Itulc 2l , it has bccornc vcry rnuch clcar that thc promotion of tl.rc crnployccs in all the calegorics and grades shall bc rradc by thc competent authority in accordance with the promouon policy.

Now coming 1o thc impugncd promotion

policy approvccl by thi: Iloarcl o1- I)ircclors in its mccting hcld on 10.10.2016, which was lurthcr lcvicwcd and approvcd by thc said lloard ol I)ircctors during thc ycar, 20 17. 'l'hc said policy was also madc 'l'rainccs. |or applicablc to the posl o1' Managemcnt

thc sakc ol'convenicncc, clausc-l ol'thc said policy is rcproduccd bclow:

l. lhe I'tonutlion l'rtlic1..shull lt.t trltytlituble lo ttll t mplol;ec.s-llegLrLur, (otrltcrcl trntl luluntrge nenl 'l ruinees including rho.se on rle ptr t tt I i o n, seco rulme nl/ ol I ac hment w it h olher organizations. Ilou,ever' this pttlicy sholl not be applicable lo ltank's re'hired employees and local based overseas employees. "

8.(lrarrtcd, that it has spccifically bccn mcntioncd in clausc-5 of thc appointmcnt lcttcrs o 1' thc pctilioncrs that thcir scrviccs will bc govcrncd by thc Scrvicc Iiulcs ibid; and l{ulc 2l ol'thc Scrvicc l{ulcs clcarly provides that promotion to alI thc catcgorics and gradcs shall bc maclc by thc oompctcnl authorily in accordancc with thc promotion policy laid down lrom t

limc to timc by tl.rc llxccutivc Iloard. 'l'hus, by inclusion ol the posts of Management 'l'rainecs in the impugned policy, the respondents have committed no illegality. Moreover, thc leamed counsel for the petitioners could no1 controvert the stance of the rcspondcnts rcgarding thc applicability o[ thc in.rpugncd policy to thc casc o1'thc petitioncrs.

Apart from the abovc, it is also worlh mentioning that in somewhat similar situation in Civil Appeal No.1644 of 2013 decided on 21.09.2016,, the Apex Courl has discussed in length the slatus of M l'Os and non-M'l'Os officers of the National Bank of Pakistan in rcspect ol' thcir promotion, transl-cr, cmolumcnts ctc and has hcld in uncquivocal lcrms that no distinction could be drawn between thc non-M'l'Os and Ml'Os, as the same classification being unnatural, colourable , illogical and whimsical could not be tcrmcd to bc based on realistic approach. lror thc sake lor convcnicncc, thc relcvant cxtract liom the said judgmcnt is rcProduccd bclow:

" Mr. Yaqar ltarooqi learned /SC attempted to drqw tlistinction hetween the two categories of ofJicers, in terms of initiat recruitment procedure and iuolificotion at the time of tecruitment' Resfondents No.t to 3 who are OG'l nnd OGJI Oliicers (non-MTO)' were

J

uppoi ed in regulor course in tlte.year 1995 in lower grude, not only intprovetl their ucudemic quuliliculion us nolerl abot,a uni so nlso earned pronrulion lo prcsent pusitiun in duc course o/' seryice. Ll/hereas MT'0 olJiccs were recruited rlirectly to olJicer grodes (OG grade), with similar qualiJication as possesserl hy the respondents. In fact the Responclents non-MTO have edge over the MTO ofJicer in terms oJ'hunds on assofterl pructical experience o/ wtrking in diJJbrent section/ lepartments, stalions und position; tvhiclr MTO oJJicers lacked at llte time of recruitmenl under the policy, lt is admilted position lh both lhe cutegor! o./ o./ficers, lhose promoted in regulur tuurse tlussifiatl us non- l'l'0 und lhose rccruiled under thc Scltcntc unrl clussi/ied .,r M'l'0-0G-l unl ll; possesscd equtl tluttliJication, pctform itlentical nulute ,rJ duties, ure trunsJbrred and posted vice eaclt other ul various slnlion/brunches without any tlistittcliott itr job lescription or nuture tt tluties or reporting procedure lo llrcir superiors. 'l'he clistittction snught to be druwn us non-M'[O mtl M7'0 rflicers in lhe given scenorio is nol ottllt utti/iciol, colourahle, bur urbitrurily und.fitttci/irl ond cunnot he terned us rationul husis or intelligible difierenliu, tultich muy nnke istinclion lrclween llte lwo cut(gories oJ the officcrs, Such heing the posiliott llterc sccms lo ltr rttt rutionnl und utget .justiJicution .lor lre ting tttttr-tl!'l'0 o.fJicers unl M'1 0 O.fficers di/ferentl! in terms oJ sulury und other emolumenls, pe*s afid beneJil Jbr the perJbrmunce of identical nulure tt.iolt and dutias. lle cannot resist hokling tlrcm to he siruikrrly ploce, tlrrts entitled b be lreated ulike .for ull purposes inclutlittg sulary and ernolume nls (see ./ur illuslrutiva case r(lttrlL'l rn l.A. Slturwutti 1,.

Oovern trtctrl tt' l\tkiston l99l SCTVR l0at@ 108(t).

It mu.1' bc rtltserYcl t lt ttt ,\rli.'lc 5 oJ lltc Conslitution o.l Puliistun, tot onl.1' ohliguas lhc '*ulc J nctionuries but so also lhc slutt,lot)' bodies, uulhorities und Juttctionuries lo i

uct Jairl! und treal oll persons similurll' ploced in like monner; as ma,rdoted in terms rt Articles 4 ancl21 of the Constitution oJ Islamic Republic of I'akistan, 1973 more so when hoth the calegor.y o.f fficer i,e, MTO and non- MTO possess contemporot)l qualiJicotiotr, perJbrm some nolure o/ duties, trunsJbrrecl and poslecl vice euch olher utd occupy similur grade. NBlt, a stututor) botly, cunnol he albwcd lo tre le urtficiul tlislirrclion ur clussiJiculiott ltelwecn the M'l'O unl trtttt...\'l l () olJicrrs tuorAiu!.! iu ttttu( grale merell' ./br the purytscs rt/ discrintinating then in lerms oJ sulur.l, pnckuge, NRI' is equully bound to obey the Conslilution arul law, In this view of the totter learned counsel for the uppelluttts has nol heen ahle to distittguish uttd tlffirenliule hetween the lwo set of o.fJicers working in some grude 0t1 the slrengllt rtJ 0n), trtcttsutohle larl stick or rutionol criteriu or listinction, merely tlillercnt uppointing procelure unl or dilferent tlrtuliJiculiott al lhe time ol induction, does nol provile tn1' .ius I i/icttl itttt lu treat lltult tl(Jarenll.y in lernrs tt/ ./inunciul enutlumenls nutte purtic ulurll' when lltc tnlme l the.l' are 0 the sume level .liekl in lernts oJ quuliJictrtion and iob clescriplion. No cxceptiott, to the impugnel iuclgment is culled ./br, "

10.'['hcrclorc, kccping in vicrv thc abovc statcd lacts, circumstanccs and discussion madc thcreupon, thc prcscnt writ pctition o1'thc pctilioncrs is without any mcrils, hcncc, liablc to clisrnissal, thus, dismissed accordingly. I lowcvcr, in thc pcculiar facts and circumstanccs of thc prcscnt casc, thc rcspondents arc dircctccl to trcat thc pctitioncrs qua their

promotion, strictly in accordancc with law applicablc

thcrcto.

.t tJ r) E

.t /z/- ur)(;r ot.27.11.2018.

/lM,Salecml./

{(DtJ) tustica t al )an KhatLak and I4r. Justice Sved t'4uhammad Attique Shah} ^4t.