Islamabad High Court Strikes Down Promotion Decision Based on Intelligence Reports
Islamabad:The Islamabad High Court has declared the Central Selection Board’s decision to deny the promotion of an officer from Grade 20 to Grade 21 based on intelligence reports as **null and void**. The court’s ruling emphasized that the Prime Minister should not allow such decisions based on unverified intelligence reports and questioned how the bureaucracy could be left at the mercy of these reports without providing the officer an opportunity to defend himself.
Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan, in his written decision, accepted the petition of the officer, Muhammad Tahir Hassan, and annulled the **Central Selection Board’s** decision from **August 1, 2023**. The court directed the Board to reconsider the officer’s promotion in the next meeting according to the **Civil Servants Promotion Rules**.
The court remarked, “It is surprising that a capable Prime Minister could let such a decision happen recklessly. How could he allow his bureaucracy to be at the mercy of intelligence reports without solid evidence? Under such circumstances, how can he expect his bureaucracy to serve the government effectively?”
The judge emphasized that the **Central Selection Board** should not give weight to intelligence reports that did not allow the officer a chance to defend himself at the departmental level. According to the petitioner’s statement, his career from **1994 to 2022** had been outstanding, and his promotion had been recommended by his Secretary. However, the intelligence reports raised questions about his credibility, which led to the promotion of a lower-scoring officer instead of him.
The court also observed that instead of providing concrete evidence, the intelligence reports merely used the term **‘reportedly’**, leaving doubts about their authenticity. The court questioned how these intelligence reports were compiled and expressed concerns over the fact that no opportunity for defense had been given to the officer, which constitutes a **serious violation of fundamental rights**.
**Key Points of the Ruling:**
– The **Central Selection Board** decision was based on unverified intelligence reports.
– The court emphasized the right of the officer to defend himself against the allegations.
– Intelligence reports lacked concrete evidence and used speculative language like **‘reportedly’**.
– The court directed the Board to reconsider the promotion under the **Civil Servants Promotion Rules**.
– The ruling underscored that denying defense based on vague intelligence reports violates basic rights.
This decision sheds light on the importance of **transparency** and **due process** in promotion decisions within the government services.
