Upholding the decision given by an appellate authority, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday rejected the petition filed by a former officer of the Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA), who had sought his reinstatement following his dismissal from service after charges of mismanagement and corruption were proved against him, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
In a 14-page verdict, which has been described as a judicial precedent, authored by Justice Khalid Ishaq, the judge rejected the plea filed by Mohsin Iqbal Cheema, who was serving as an assistant director at the PLRA, and declared that the allegations of mismanagement and causing a loss to the national exchequer against the ex-officer, as proven during the departmental inquiry, were true.
In the decision, the judge wrote that an inquiry officer (IO) had recommended withholding increment of the assistant director for a period of five years. “However, differing with his recommendation, PLRA DG dismissed Cheema from service,” the judge said, and added that it was the concerned authority, which had the power to determine punishment for the employee found involved in corruption or other crimes. “And once these charges are proven, the authority is not bound to accept the recommendation made by the IO,” read the verdict.
The judge went on to say that the petitioner later challenged his dismissal in an appellate court, which also rejected his plea.
He noted that the plaintiff’s point of view was not acceptable; so, therefore, his plea was rejected.
The judge also said that one of the reasons for not granting relief to Cheema was that his conduct was not good.