ISLAMABAD, Jul 24: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has restrained the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) from proceeding with fresh recruitment, suspending further action on a disputed recruitment advertisement until the final decision in the main petition.

The court has fixed August 22 for hearing the case.

Justice Muhammad Azam Khan issued a written order on an application seeking suspension of the recruitment advertisement.

The petition was filed by ANF Constable Muhammad Shafiq Khan through Advocate Muhammad Ali Raza, making the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law and Justice, and the Director General ANF respondents.

The petitioner submitted that he had been serving as a constable in the ANF for the past 10 years without receiving any promotion.

He stated that he ranked 232nd on the seniority list of 665 constables and argued that issuing an advertisement for fresh direct recruitment without convening the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) was unlawful.

He contended that under the ANF Service Rules, the department had ignored the promotion rights of existing employees by opting for direct recruitment. The petition also sought to restrain the induction of officers from other departments on deputation and requested restoration of the service structure for civilian employees.

The petitioner requested the court to declare the recent ANF recruitment advertisement illegal and void, and to direct the authorities to immediately convene the Departmental Promotion Committee for filling all vacant posts through departmental promotions.

Allowing the interim application, the court suspended further proceedings on the recruitment advertisement until the disposal of the main petition and fixed August 22 for further hearing.