President Dr Arif Alvi has directed the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) of Pakistan  to appoint the son of a deceased employee under the Prime Minister’s Assistance Package. The President gave these directions while accepting a representation filed by Mr Rizwan Ullah (the complainant) whose late father (Bakhtawar Shah) was employed in the Agency and died during service in 2009. The complainant had applied for appointment against the deceased employees’ children quota under Prime Minister’s Assistance Package but to no avail.

Feeling aggrieved, he approached Wafaqi Mohtasib who rejected his complaint stating that since his father died on 28-12-2009 before the adoption of the package w.e.f. 01-07-2012, therefore, the policy was not applicable to the complainant. Mr Rizwan Ullah then filed a representation with the President, which was accepted. The President in his decision observed that the Agency had already provided a job to another deceased employee’s son under the Prime Minister’s Assistance Package whereas his father died on 08-02-2012 before the adoption of the policy by the Agency, adding that the Corporation could not deny similar treatment to the complainant.

He further noted that PM’s Assistance Package was issued vide Establishment Division’s OM in 2006 and amendments thereafter were made from time to time. He stated that the Agency adopted the Package w.e.f from 01-07-2012 but it was not clear whether it adopted the package of 2006 or any other thereafter. He also referred to the Establishment Division’s O.M. dated 17-04-2018 wherein it had been explained that the widow/widower or a child of a civil servant who died during service may be entitled to apply for contract appointment as per the maximum age limit prescribed for initial Appointment to Civil Posts.

The President concluded that the Mohtasib had overlooked these important aspects of the matter, therefore, its orders were being set aside and Utility Stores Corporation was directed to process the case of the complainant for appointment under the PM’s Assistance Package at the earliest.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP