The appointment of Director General, Civil Aviation Authority has been challenged yesterday by Advocate Nabeel J Kahloon on behalf of petitioner Zarin Gul Durrani, General Secretary, Pakistan Civil Aviation Officers Association before Lahore High Court. The petitioner Zarin Gul Durrani son of Khuda Baksh Durrani stated that Khaqan Murtaza’s current DG CAA doesn’t qualify the eligibility criteria as settled by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in its Judgment.
The Civil Aviation Recruitment Rules, 1970 must be followed when appointing the Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority whereas it states: “from amongst the incumbents of the next lower posts in any technical branch of the department with minimum 15-year Class-1 Service, shall be appointed as CAA Director-General.
Or an officer of proven executive ability with a minimum of 18 years of class-1 service in any government aeronautical organization or service, preferably with experience as a pilot in command, whereas no such information is provided in the advertisement published by the respondents for the post of Director General Civil Aviation Authority.
The impugned appointment of the respondent Khaqan Murtaza as Director-General on its face is in violation of the judgment passed by the honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan, whereas a specific proper qualification has been mentioned as per the judgment of the supreme court of Pakistan for the appointment of DG CAA.
The applicant requested in his prayer that the impugned notification dated 27-11-2020, for the appointment of Khaqan Murtaza as Director General Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority may be suspended.
The respondent may be restrained to work in connection with PCAA at any capacity and to hand over the charge to the senior-most officer in the organization till the appointment of the regular DG CAA. He also may be restrained from passing any adverse order against the petitioner in lieu of the pending writ petition before the honorable court.