By By our correspondent
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday directed the Registrar of the SHC to file comments on a petition regarding enhancement of judicial and utility allowances of the SHC employees as being availed by employees of other high courts in the country.
The petitioners, Mohammad Nusrat Ali, Atiq Ahmed, Raheel and Abdul Waheed, employees of the SHC, complained of discrimination and unequal treatment. They submitted that the working and functions of the staff members of high courts were similar in nature, hence the staff members of the SHC from BPS-1 to BPS-16 were also entitled to the allowance at the enhanced rates as being given to the staff members of the Lahore High Court.
They submitted that withholding of judicial and utility allowances of the employees of BPS-1 to BPS-16 of the SHC Establishment was also in violation of Article 9 of the Constitution and independence of the judiciary.
Provincial law officer Miran Mohammad Shah filed comments on behalf of the finance department submitting that the utility allowance from January 1, 2008 has been allowed to the employees of the SHC and for the rest of the grievances, it was a policy decision that will be implemented and followed by the finance department.
The SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam observed that comments of the Registrar were necessary to resolve the controversy and directed him to file comments on the next date of hearing. The court also directed the office to tag the identical petitions so that they may be heard and decided by the same bench.
CDGK restrained from evicting LEW affected: The SHC restrained the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) from evicting the affected of the Lyari Expressway (LEW) till further orders.
Saleem Shahzad, Faisal Jilani and 39 other residents of Liaquatabad submitted through their counsel Shaukat Sheikh that despite court’s order they were not given alternate land and compensation amount.
The counsel said that the petitioners were being evicted from their houses by the CDGK and prayed the court to restrain them from doing so until alternate space and compensation was granted to them. The court after preliminary hearing of the petition issued notices to the CDGK and others and in the meantime restrained the CDGK from getting them evicted till further orders.
Petition for labour tribunal: The SHC issued notices to Advocate General Sindh and Secretary Labour on a petition against non-constitution of a labour appellate tribunal by the provincial government.
Detention case: The SHC issued notices to ministry of interior, SHO Sohrab Goth and others on a petition against alleged detention of a man by the law enforcement agencies (LEAs).
Yousuf Khan submitted that his brother Sher Zaman was arrested by SHO Sohrab Goth and other personnel of the LEAs during a raid at his house on September 13.
Expressing fear about Sher’s life, the petitioner submitted that neither the police were producing him in any court of law nor his involvement was shown in any case. The court, issuing notice to ministry of interior and others, adjourned the matter for October 13 and called the comments of respondents.