SC upholds its verdict on pension, other benefits of retired employees

Justice Amir Hani Muslim says rulers don’t sell their own assets the way they sell state assets

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday upheld its earlier decision granting pension and other benefits to the retired employees of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL).

A five-member larger bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, dismissed review petitions of the company and Pakistan Telecommunication Employees Trust (PTET).

The court in its short order ruled that service rights of Telephone and Telegraph (T&T) were given full legal protection at the time of making a corporation as well as after privatising the company.

During the course of arguments, counsels, representing the retired employees, contended that after privatising the company, its employees were no more as civil servants, however, at the time of making it as corporation, pension and other benefits of the retired employees were fully protected under Section 2.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Salman Aslan Butt while appearing before the court submitted that in 1991 when T&T was abolished and its employees were transferred to the PTCL, the rights of the employees were protected under Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation Act hence, he said, such category is entitled to get pension on retirement.

The AG said that those employees who were later on appointed under the Corporation Act, rules and regulations of the corporation will be applied on these employees.

During the hearing Justice Amir Hani Muslim remarked that rulers do not sale out their own assets in such a manner as the state assets sell out. Later, the court upheld its earlier decision and dismissed the review petitions.