Judgment

KHALID, J. :- The petitioners, six in number, are working in the Ministry of Defence, Department of Production. They joined their service on different dates ranging from 1963 to 1969. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th petitioners joined service as Senior Technical Assistant while 4th and 6th petitioners joined as Technical Assistant. The 1st and 2nd petitioners are now working as Senior Technical Officer (officiating), 3rd and 4th petitioners are working. as Technical Officer (officiating) and 5th and 6th are working as Junior Technical Officer. None of the petitioners have been confirmed in their respective posts to which they have been promoted.

2. The first respondent is the Secretary to the Government, Ministry of Defence and respondent 2, Director, Directorate of Production and Inspection, Naval.

3. The appointment and promotion of persons like the petitioners were governed by the department of Defence Production (Directorate of Production and Inspection, Naval) Group A and Group B Technical Post Recruitment Rules, 1976, for short the Rules. Prior to these rules, they were governed by the Rules framed in 1965 and revised in 1972.

4. The grievance of the petitioner is that the Rul