The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) recruitment process, barring the department from making any new appointments until the case is decided.
Justice Muhammad Azam Khan issued the order on Friday, staying the implementation of the ANF recruitment advertisement and directing the authorities to keep the hiring process on hold until the court announces its final verdict.
The court also disposed of a miscellaneous petition after removing objections raised by the Registrar’s Office and fixed the main case for hearing on August 22.
The petition was filed by ANF Constable Muhammad Shafiq Khan, who challenged the recruitment advertisement. He named the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Law, and the Director General of the ANF as respondents.
In his petition, Khan stated that he has served as a constable for the past 10 years without receiving a promotion and is ranked 232nd on the seniority list of 665 constables.
He argued that the ANF should have convened a Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting to fill vacant positions through departmental promotions before advertising direct recruitment. He further requested the court to restore the service structure for civilian employees and declare the latest recruitment advertisement unlawful.
The petitioner also urged the court to direct the ANF to immediately constitute a DPC and fill the vacant posts through promotions instead of direct hiring.
The recruitment process will remain suspended until the Islamabad High Court issues a final decision in the case.
