SA passes Sindh Civil Servants Amendment Bill 2013

KARACHI: Sindh Assembly here Thursday passed the Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2013 amid strong opposition and walkout of the opposition.

When Sindh Law Minister Muhammad Ayaz Soomro rose to introduce the Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2013, Arif Mustafa Jatoi of National People’s Party (NPP) raised a point of order that as the issue of the out of turn promotions was pending with the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the Sindh law minister could not introduce the Bill No 02 of 2013 – The Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2013, as it would be a contempt of court.

Arif Mustafa requested the chair not to allow the bill for introduction and consideration as it would be tantamount to a contempt of the apex court.

He said the assembly cannot take any step that is against the constitution. Other opposition members also supported him; however, Muhammad Ayaz Soomro, Murad Ali Shah, Rafique Engineer and other treasury members were of the opinion that there was no stay order in this case and the assembly could take its routine legislation business.

The chair in its ruling maintained that the bill can be introduced and considered. On this the opposition members raised slogans of ‘shame, shame’ and staged a walkout. However, the treasury members passed the bill unanimously.

The bill contained insertion of section 23-A: Regularization of out of turn promotions. It reads: (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any law, order or judgment of any court, all out of trun promotions made immediately before the commencement of the Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Act, 2013,under section 9-A by Government or Competent Authority or otherwise by the Police Department shall stand regularized from the dates of such promotions.(2) All promotions regularized under sub-section (1), may file an appeal in the Sindh Service Tribunal, within 30 days of the commencement of the Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Act, 2013.(3) A person aggrieved by any promotion regularized under sub-section 1 may file an an appeal in the Sindh Service Tribunal, within 30 days of the commencement of the Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Act, 2013.(4)

The treasury members also passed another bill, Bill No 09 of 2011 –The Sindh High Density Development Board (Amendment) Bill 2011, unanimously.