Lahore (Pakistan News) The Lahore High Court has declared the decision to ignore a female candidate on the basis of caste/tribe as illegal and ordered her appointment as a permanent Numberdar.
Justice Raheel Kamran Sheikh issued an 8-page written judgment, stating that providing equal opportunities to women in public offices is a constitutional requirement and no eligible woman can be ignored on the basis of social prejudice.
The court set aside the decision of the Deputy Commissioner Lodhran and the Board of Revenue for not appointing the woman as Numberdar, ruling that administrative decisions were made on the basis of tribe rather than merit.
According to the judgment, after the death of the Numberdar in Tehsil Dunyapur, the applicant Kalsoom Akhtar applied for the position, but she was initially rejected on the basis of tribe by awarding lower marks and removing her from merit.
The record showed that the applicant’s father had also served as Numberdar of the same village.
The court observed that if her father could hold the position, then the daughter cannot be disqualified solely on the basis of tribe. The Assistant Commissioner had reassessed the case and placed the applicant at first position on merit, but later the Deputy Commissioner again reduced her marks on tribal grounds.
In the written verdict, the court noted that the applicant has extensive experience in rural and revenue matters, and that Numberdar is not a hereditary right but a public responsibility.
The court also criticized the Board of Revenue for failing to ensure lawful and merit-based decisions.
The court annulled the appointment of Muhammad Azam and ordered the appointment of Kalsoom Akhtar as permanent Numberdar, directing authorities to issue a notification within 30 days.
