LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday stayed the direct appointments against the posts of senior registrar cardiology being made by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC).

Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabir issued the injunctive order on a petition filed by Dr Asif Rehmat and three other medical officers working in the cardiology departments of different hospitals of the province.

Advocate Safdar Shaheen Pirzada, the counsel for the petitioners, argued that his clients served as BS-17 medical officers of cardiology for more than ten years and became eligible for promotion to the rank of senior registrar cardiology (BS18).

He said the petitioners had filed applications to the authorities for their promo-tion, but the health department had been delaying the process despite the fact that they had passed a specialist examination four years ago.

The counsel pointed out that the PPSC on the requisition of the department advertised the posts of the senior registrar.

He argued that the government intended to deprive the petitioners of their constitutionally guaranteed right to promotion to the rank of senior registrar and resorted to direct recruitment.

He said if direct recruitment process was completed first the petitioners would become junior to the new appointees.

He said the petitioners had filed several applications to the department for redressal of their grievances, but no action had been taken so far.

The counsel asked the court to order the respondents to convene a meeting of departmental promotion committee for the consideration of petitioners` caseprior to the completion of the impugned process of the direct recruitment.

The judge stayed the impugned process of the appointments and sought replies from the respondents within two weeks.

Other petitioners include Dr Hassan Iqbal, Dr Fayaz Zafar and Dr Iftikhar Anwar.

JUDGES SWORN IN: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum on Wednesday administered oath to four newly-appointed additional judges of the provincialhigh court.

All four including Justice Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Justice Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh, Justice Tariq Mehmood Bajwa and Justice Abher Gul Khan were district & sessions judges before their elevation to the LHC.

Senior judges including Justice Shujaat Ali Khan, Justice Ali Bagar Najafi, Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh and Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi attendedthe oath-taking ceremony.

Registrar Amjad Iqbal Ranjha conducted the proceedings of the ceremony.

Other judges and officers of the LHC were also present on the occasion besides newly-appointed Advocate General of Punjab Amjad Pervaiz, Prosecutor General of Punjab Syed Farhad Ali Shah, provincial and federal law officers.

With the addition of these four judges, the total number of judges in the LHC has now reached 47 against the constitutionally sanctioned strength of 60.

CHARGE: Advocate General of Punjab (AGP) Amjad Pervaiz on Wednesday took charge of his office.

The other day, the Punjab governor had issued a notification regarding the appointment of Mr Pervaiz as the principal law officer of the province.

The office had fallen vacant following the elevation of Khalid Ishaq to the Lahore High Court. AGP Pervaiz is a criminal law expert with expertise in cases related to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and FederalInvestigation Agency (FIA).

He has served as legal counsel for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his sons, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and her father former premierNawaz Sharif, in various cases.

He has also been the counsel of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, PTI President Parvez Elahi and his son Moonis Elahi in cases made by the NAB and the FIA.