Islamabad High Court orders NCCIA officers
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a detailed written order directing that officers of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) must not be prevented from carrying out their official duties. The court also maintained its earlier stay order restraining the authorities from taking any disciplinary action against the petitioning employees until further proceedings.
The written order was issued by Justice Azam Khan following the hearing of a petition filed by the affected officers. The petitioners, who are contractual employees of the NCCIA, have approached the Islamabad High Court seeking regularization of their employment. They argue that they have been serving the organization for an extended period and should be granted permanent status in accordance with the law.
According to the court’s written order, counsel representing the NCCIA authorities requested additional time to submit their formal response to the petition. The court noted that the respondents sought an extension to file their reply before the next hearing.
However, the petitioners’ legal representatives strongly opposed the request for further delay. They argued that the respondents had already been given several opportunities to submit their response since the first hearing of the case on February 13. Despite multiple chances, the authorities had failed to place their reply on record within the time provided by the court.
The petitioners’ counsel further informed the court that at nearly every hearing, the respondents had sought adjournments on one pretext or another. According to the lawyers, these repeated delays were causing irreparable harm to the petitioners, who continued to face uncertainty regarding their employment and professional responsibilities.
Taking note of these submissions, the Islamabad High Court granted the NCCIA authorities one final opportunity to submit their written reply. The court directed that the response must be filed before July 30. The written order clearly states that if the respondents fail to submit their reply by the specified deadline, the court will proceed to decide the case on the basis of the available record without granting any further extensions.
The court also made important observations regarding the professional role of the petitioning officers. Justice Azam Khan remarked that it would be unfair to prevent such highly educated and experienced individuals from performing their official duties. The written order emphasized that qualified professionals should not be obstructed from carrying out work assigned to them, particularly while legal proceedings remain pending.
Furthermore, the court instructed all concerned parties to ensure that the petitioning officers are allowed to perform their duties strictly in accordance with the law. It directed the respondents not to create any obstacles in the officers’ work or interfere with their lawful responsibilities until the matter is finally decided.
In addition, the High Court reaffirmed that the interim stay order protecting the petitioners from disciplinary action will remain in force until the next hearing. This provides temporary legal protection to the employees while the court continues to examine the merits of their petition seeking regularization of service.
After issuing these directions, the Islamabad High Court adjourned further proceedings in the case until July 30. The next hearing is expected to determine whether the respondents have complied with the court’s instructions and may also shape the future course of the contractual employees’ plea for permanent employment within the NCCIA.
