Seven Levies men urge PHC to restore them on job

CHITRAL: Seven officials of Chitral Levies forcibly retired from service after demotion by the deputy commissioner called upon the chief justice of Peshawar High Court to take notice and provide them justice.
Speaking at a press conference here, Naib Subedar Aqbal Uddin, Naib Subedar Jamal Abdul Nasir and Naib Subedar Muhammad Ismail said after serving 25 years in the Levies they were promoted in 2014 on the direction of the home department of KP.

Soon after taking over last year, however, the incumbent DC Chitral Irshad Sodhar started putting pressure on them to apply for early retirement otherwise they would be retired in the rank of sepoy.

As a result, the officials approached the Peshawar High Court (PHC)  which on May 2, 2018, declared their promotion by the former DC Chitral legal, they claimed.

However, when the court order reached Chitral, the DC sent the officials on forced retirement with the retrospective effect of March 27, 2018. They said the officials received the retirement order on May 14.

They said Subedar Noor Azam and Subedar Hakim Khan were retired after they completed their service. The seven officials who had five years to go for retirement were retired as sepoys for not applying for retirement on the direction of the DC.

They also called upon the home secretary, commissioner Malakand Division and the chief secretary KP to take notice of the DC’s arbitrary action and provide them justice. –Muhkam Uddin Ayuni