Sheikh ABDUL AZIZ vs COLLECTOR, MUZAFFARGARH AND 2 OTHERS
The petitioner, a Qanungo, sought leave to appeal under Article 212(3) of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 against the judgment of the Service Tribunal dated 15-11-1976. The petitioner had been dismissed from service departmentally, which was later converted by the Commissioner into reversion from Qanungo to Patwari. The Service Tribunal partially accepted the petitioner's appeal by converting the reduction in rank to the lowest of the scale of Qanungo, noting he never held the rank of Patwari. Before the Supreme Court, the petitioner contended that the Tribunal failed to address other grounds on the merits and erred in substituting the penalty itself. The Supreme Court held that it is reasonable to infer unpressed grounds were abandoned, and that the Service Tribunal, as an appellate forum, acted lawfully in examining the case and granting permissible relief. The petition for leave to appeal was accordingly dismissed.
- Whether the Service Tribunal can substitute an illegal departmental penalty with an appropriate order permissible under the law?
- Whether grounds taken in the memorandum of appeal but not addressed by the Tribunal can be presumed to have been not pressed?
- Can a civil servant be reverted to a post lower than the one he initially held?
- Article 212(3), Constitution of Pakistan 1973
ORDER
' SHAFIUR RAHMAN, J.-The petitioner, a Qanungo, seeks leave to appeal under Article 212(3) of the Constitution against the Judgment of the Service Tribunal dated 15-11-1976.
2. The petitioner was proceeded against departmentally under the Exfficiency and Discipline Rules.
He was dismissed from service on 19-8-1969. He filed an appeal before the Commissioner and the dismissal order was substituted by an order of his reversion from the post of Qanungo to that of a Patwari for a period of two years. The petitioner then filed a Constitutional Petition which abated and the matter was taken to the Service Tribunal. The Tribunal by its order dated. 15-11-1976 partially accepted the appeal and converted the . Reduction in rank from -Qanungo to the post of Patwari, into reduction to the lowest of the scale of Qanungo. The plea taken by the petitioner that as he never held the rank of Patwari, he could not be reverted to that post was given effect to.
3. The learned counsel for the petitioner has contended that he had challenpd before the Tribunal the entire proceedings under the Efficiency and Discipline Rules and the Tribunal was in error in not adverting to or disposing of the other grounds concerned with the merits of the inquiry and the action taken against him.
4. We find that though in the memorandum of appeal the petitioner had in fact taken a number of grounds the only plea dealt with by the A Tribunal is with regard to his reduction to a post lower than that which he held initially. It is reasonable to infer that none of the other grounds was pressed before the Tribunal.
5. The learned counsel for the petitioner also conteded that once the order passed by the Commissioner as the appellate authority was found to be defective in law the Service Tribunal could not substitute it by an order of its own as if it were the departmental authority. The Tribunal B being the appellate forum was required to examine the factual as well as the legal aspects of the case and could after such examination afford relief permissible under the law and as could be granted by the departmental authorities. In substituting the order of reduction in the manner in which it was done the Tribunal has committed no error of law.
6. We find no merit in the petition which is dismissed.