Contempt notices issued over frozen judicial allowance funds

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday issued contempt-of-court notices to the chief secretary, the finance secretary and the law secretary for not complying with the court order to release the special judicial allowance to all the cadres of the SHC, its benches and circuit courts.

The direction came on a contempt-of-court application filed by high court employees seeking the implementation of the SHC’s June 21, 2024, order that directed the government to unfreeze and release the special judicial allowance within two months.

An SHC division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha said that compliance with the court order was required within two months, but seven more months have passed since then.

The court said that these cases have been taken up on numerous occasions, during which the court has shown maximum restraint toward the respondents as regards their non-compliance. The acting advocate general said the court orders have not been complied with. The SHC took notice over the non-compliance and issued contempt-of-court notices, directing all the alleged contemners to explain the non-compliance in court.

The bench said if the alleged contemners are able to reach an agreement that is satisfactory to the petitioners, the court might consider withdrawing the contempt notices. The SHC had earlier granted the government time to either comply with the court order or obtain a restraining order from the Supreme Court against the high court’s judgment.

The high court said that if the government failed to obtain a stay order or release the funds, it would be compelled to issue contempt notices to the chief secretary, the finance secretary and the law secretary on the next date of hearing.

The SHC had earlier set aside the government’s office memorandum and the cabinet’s decision as regards the freezing of the judicial allowance of the high court and its subordinate judiciary employees.

The high court employees had filed a petition asking the SHC to issue an order to the government to notify a former chief justice’s directive for unfreezing the special judicial allowance with effect from July 1, 2016.