Every public servant has the right to be promoted, according to SC rules.
In a landmark decision pertaining to government employee promotions, the Supreme Court of Pakistan unequivocally declared that every public servant has the fundamental legal right to be given consideration for a promotion based on performance.
Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar authored the five-page written ruling. It claims that despite having stellar performance reports from 2013 to 2018, the petitioner, a senior officer in the Police Service, was passed over for promotion three times.
The SC pointed out that not receiving a field posting was the reason for the officer’s 2019 performance report’s absence, which shouldn’t be seen negatively. The High-Powered Selection Board was criticized by the court for adding unsupported negative comments to the minutes and for making a decision to deny promotion without sufficient justification or evidence.
See also: Revised promotion regulations for civil servants
The court emphasized that public servants have a legal right to pro forma promotions, which may even be given after retirement if the officer qualifies. It also made clear that since the petitioner was not the subject of any proven accusations, any harm to his reputation would be unjust.
To avoid needless delays or injustice, the SC ordered all government agencies to guarantee openness and prompt decisions in matters pertaining to promotions.
The Supreme Court reversed the ruling of the Sindh High Court (SHC) and mandated that the High-Powered Selection Board reconsider the petitioner’s case on its merits in a two-month period.
