Highly qualified candidate can't be recruited on low-scale job: Supreme Court
Pakistan
Highly qualified candidate can’t be recruited for low-scale job: Supreme Court
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on Monday ruled that a highly qualified candidate could not be recruited for a low-scale job.
The apex court announced the verdict on a plea filed by the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) which challenged the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision directing Lesco to hire Engineer Waqas against the post of line superintendent in 2015. Mr Waqas had moved the LHC after Lesco rejected his application for the post.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah remarked that the recruitment of an engineer to the post of line superintendent would affect the organisation’s hierarchy and functionality. “Despite being highly qualified, an applicant not complying with the recruiter’s policy could not be hired, and it was not a discriminatory decision on part of the organisation,” the verdict added.
The ruling stated that it was not court’s responsibility to assess a candidate’s eligibility and decide his recruitment. “The recruitment of highly-qualified candidates to a low-scale posts have social repercussions as well, as it deprives low-qualified individuals of their due right of employment,” the ruling added.
Lesco maintained that as Mr Waqas had been working for the organisation since 2015, therefore, the organisation did not oppose him. “The organisation could relax a little in this case, however, this practice should not be allowed to repeat in future,” the Lesco lawyer added.
