The Supreme Court ruled that civil servants are not bound to follow illegal orders from the prime minister. Justice Hashim Kakar made the remarks while hearing the OGDCL recruitment case. He said Pakistan is not a monarchy where orders are blindly followed.
A three-member bench led by Justice Kakar heard the case related to illegal appointments in OGDCL. The court directed all lawyers to come fully prepared for arguments. The judges emphasized adherence to law in public sector hiring.
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Meanwhile, the NAB counsel told the court that former minister Anwar Saifullah sought appointment letters from the OGDCL chairman. He said recruitments should have been made through open advertisements. The counsel added that parliamentary pressure was cited by officials.
However, Justice Kakar stated that civil servants must refuse unlawful directives despite possible consequences. He observed that overstaffing exists in most government institutions. Justice Salahuddin Panhwar added that ministers often face public pressure for jobs.
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Furthermore, NAB argued that overstaffing forced PIA toward privatization. Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim noted the recruitments occurred before the accountability law existed. He also said the former minister had already served his sentence, though conviction stigma remains.