Azad Jammu and Kashmir has recently witnessed a judicial earthquake shaking the very foundations of its institutions. In a landmark ruling, the AJK High Court suspended 43 officials and staff members, declaring their appointments illegal, meritless, and a gross violation of rules. This decision not only exposed systemic corruption but also rekindled a critical debate on accountability, governance, and the sanctity of public trust.
The Dismissed Officials
The dismissed ex employes, without merit are listed as:
1. Muhammad Kamran (Khakrob) — Justice Azhar Saleem Babar
2. Muhammad Sajid (Khakrob) — Justice M. Tabassum Aftab Alvi
3. Muhammad Kaleem (Khakrob) — Justice M. Tabassum Aftab Alvi
4. Muhammad Bashir (Mali) — Justice M. Tabassum Aftab Alvi
5. Noman Khan (Mali) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
6. Khurram (Mali) — Justice Azhar Saleem Babar
7. Aftab Abbasi (Mali) — Justice Mustafa Mughal
8. Saffron (Mali) — Justice Azhar Saleem Babar
9. Mohsin Mughal (Mali) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
10. Fayyaz Butt (Chowkidar) — Justice M. Tabassum Aftab Alvi
11. Atif Javed (Naib Qasid) — Justice Shiraz Kayani
12. Ghulam Mujtaba (Naib Qasid) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
13. Faisal Hussain (Naib Qasid) — Justice Mustafa Mughal
14. Imran Khan (Naib Qasid, Mirpur) — Justice Shiraz Kayani (Late)
15. Muhammad Afzal (Naib Qasid) — Justice Shiraz Kayani
16. Atif Mughal (Finance) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
17. Muhammad Waseem Mughal (Naib Qasid) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
18. Saad Safir (Naib Qasid) — Justice Azhar Saleem Babar
19. Aamir Bashir (Naib Qasid) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
20. Asad Ali (Naib Qasid) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
21. Zeeshan (Naib Qasid) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
22. Saqlain (Naib Qasid) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
23. Junaid Turk (Office Coordinator) — Justice Mustafa Mughal
24. Rashid Rafiq Mughal (IT Assistant) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
25. Muhammad Ali Hayat (Office Coordinator) — Justice M. Tabassum Aftab Alvi
26. Iqra (IT Assistant) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
27. Abdul Bari Mughal (IT Assistant) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
28. Syed Zohaib (IT Assistant) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
29. Hamza Khan (IT Assistant) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
30. Masood Maqbool (IT Assistant) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
31. Suleman Shahid (IT Assistant) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
32. Tariq Bashir (IT Assistant) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
33. Falza Shabbir (IT Assistant) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
34. Muhammad Owais Alvi (IT Assistant) — Justice M. Tabassum Aftab Alvi
35. Imran Zahid Abbasi (IT Assistant) — Justice M. Tabassum Aftab Alvi
36. Maryam Ishtiaq (IT Assistant) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
37. Arsalan Zia (Network Engineer) — Justice M. Tabassum Aftab Alvi
38. Muhammad Babar Khan (Data Manager) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
39. Ghulam Mustafa Kayani — Justice M Tabassum Aftab Alvi
40. Raja Saddam (Office Coordinator) — Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja
41. Nasir Iqbal (MIS Manager) — Justice M Tabassum Aftab Alvi
42. Mansoor Ahmed (Office Coordinator) — Justice M Tabassum Aftab Alvi
43. Asif Feroze Qureshi (System Engineer) — Justice M Tabassum Aftab Alvi
The court has declared all these appointments null and void, putting a firm seal on the massacre of merit. These all individuals reflects how deep political favoritism and nepotism have penetrated state institutions. Among the names highlighted are Muhammad Ashraf, Nasir Mehmood, Shuja ul Haq, Arif Rasheed, Sabiha Tabassum, Raheela Qamar, Shakeel Ahmed, Hassan Raza, Ghulam Abbas, Qamar Hussain, Iftikhar Ali, Tanveer Iqbal, and Mazhar Rasheed, along with many others who had secured government positions not through competence but through connections.
These individuals held posts ranging from IT assistants and office coordinators to stenographers, registrars, Naib Qasids, gardeners, and even sweepers. Their appointments, made largely during influential tenures under political and judicial patronage, demonstrate how the very spirit of meritocracy was strangled to serve vested interests. This case is not an isolated event but part of a broader, festering culture of malpractice in AJK’s governance system.
Additionally, the fraud in the Livestock Department, scams in ambulance procurement, fake recruitments within the Police Department, and the collapse of industries due to exploitative taxation policies all are vivid reminders of how corruption corrodes institutions. The High Court’s ruling rightly described the appointments as a source of “irreparable loss” to both the state and its people. It echoed the public sentiment that what prevails today in governance is nothing less than “Andher Nagri, Chaupat Raj” a lawless realm where personal connections eclipse fairness and justice.
Negligence of Oversight Institutions
The rot goes deeper when one looks at institutions tasked with ensuring accountability. The AJK Public Service Commission (AJPSC), instead of safeguarding transparency, has become a white elephant, expending resources while failing to guarantee fair opportunities. Similarly, the disgraceful Husnain Malik sexual harassment scandal highlighted the moral decay within offices entrusted with justice and integrity.
One must ask: Are only these 43 dismissed employees responsible, or should accountability extend to the influential figures, judges, politicians, and bureaucrats who orchestrated and approved these appointments? Until the “big fish” are brought into the dock, justice will remain half-served.
Public Response and the Trust Deficit
The public has largely welcomed the court’s decision, but frustration runs deep. Ordinary citizens are questioning how these appointees enjoyed salaries and privileges for years while thousands of qualified young graduates remained unemployed. As one saying goes, “What is sown will surely be reaped.” The seeds of nepotism have yielded only disappointment, disillusionment, and distrust.
The suspension of these appointments must not be treated as the end of the matter but as a beginning, Independent Oversight Commission: Establish a body to monitor recruitment, procurement, and financial audits. Restructuring the AJPSC: Remove political interference, digitize the recruitment process, and ensure transparency. Zero Tolerance for Exploitation: Cases of workplace harassment, like the Husnain Malik scandal, must be addressed with swift and visible punishment. Digital Governance: Introduce e-recruitment systems, centralized record-keeping, and real-time monitoring. Accountability Across the Board: Beyond clerks and assistants, those in higher echelons who facilitated such corruption must be tried.
This High Court verdict has proved to be a ray of light piercing through long-standing darkness, a reminder that corruption, no matter how entrenched, cannot always shield itself. Yet the crucial question remains: Will the state muster the courage to confront the powerful hands behind this culture of corruption? As the old proverb goes, “A stitch in time saves nine.” If meaningful reforms are not introduced today, tomorrow may be too late, and the very fabric of governance in Azad Kashmir could unravel completely. |