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...... ..

((]overnment of Paki,slan, through lhe

l?espondent (s) ...
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."

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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
vidc which thc pctitioncls i.c.(Managcrncnt rainccs)

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.

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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 oJl\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

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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 "

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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 ac hment w it h
I

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

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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

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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).
t mu.1' bc rtltserYcl t lt ttt
I

,\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

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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

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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.