KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday declared illegal the federal government’s appointment of a Pakistan Customs officer as Director General of the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA), formerly the Department of Plant Protection (DPP), and ordered his immediate removal.
As per the decision a division bench comprising Justice Muhammad Faisal Kamal Alam and Justice Sana Akram Minhas quashed the January 15, 2025 notification appointing Tahir Abbas, a BS-19 officer from the Customs cadre, to the BS-20 post of Plant Protection Adviser & DG. The judges held that the officer neither met the statutory qualifications nor had the professional background required for such a highly technical role.
The petition (C.P. No. D-1837 of 2025), filed through Advocate Rashid Mahar, had challenged the notification, arguing that the appointment violated service rules, Section 10 of the Civil Servants Act, 1973, and multiple court directives. The court noted that as per S.R.O. 1332(1)/2021, the DG’s position requires a B.Sc. (Hons) in Agriculture with specialization in Entomology, Plant Pathology, or Plant Protection, at least 17 years of relevant field experience, and seven research publications in HEC-recognized journals.
“The appointee lacked these essential qualifications,” the bench remarked, recalling that in April 2024 the SHC had already directed the federal government to ensure seniority and merit in filling high-ranking technical positions. By ignoring that ruling, the court observed, the authorities had acted in “blatant violation of merit and the law.”
Legal observers said the ruling underscores the judiciary’s insistence on qualified leadership in specialized institutions under the Ministry of National Food Security and Research. The decision is expected to have far-reaching consequences, as the ministry is already under parliamentary scrutiny for governance lapses at the DPP/NAFSA and controversial inquiries against senior directors.
The verdict comes just a week before the Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research meets on September 25 to review the DG’s appointment, disciplinary cases against senior officers, and the wheat import scandal.
