SHC directs government to pay allowances to MPAs

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed a provincial law officer to submit a compliance report with regard to payment of allowances to members of the Sindh Assembly.

The direction came on a petition of former MPA Syed Sardar Ahmed and others against non-payment of allowances to the MPAs. It was submitted in the petition that the government had passed a law for the payment of allowances to MPAs in 2017 but the same had not been paid to them.

An additional secretary finance and a provincial law officer submitted that certain amendments were made in the Sindh Assembly Members (Salaries and Allowance) Act 1974 with effect from July 1, 2017 with regard to some benefits but due to financial constraints, the said allowances could not be paid.

They agreed that the amount would be paid to the petitioner and other entitled members of the assembly within two months in accordance with the law. A division bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, after taking the statement on record, directed the provincial law officer to submit a compliance report on August 28.

Notice to KMC

The SHC issued notices to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the health department and others on a petition of doctor against the non-payment of pensionary benefits.

Dr. Mohammad Ali Abbasi submitted that he served as a doctor in the KMC-run leprosy medical hospital in Manghopir for the last 33 years and retired in 2017. He submitted that despite a lapse of 18 months, the government and the KMC, due to a dispute between them, were not paying his pensionary benefits to him, including gratuity.

The applicant requested the SHC to direct the government to pay the pensionary benefits to him. The court, after a preliminary hearing of the petition, issued notices to the KMC, the Sindh government and others and called their comments.