PSM retirement dues: SHC orders seizure of ministry’s accounts till payment

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday ordered seizure of the accounts of the Ministry of Production till payment of gratuity and outstanding dues of over 850 retired employees of the Pakistan Steel Mills.

The direction came on a petition filed by Syed Umar Baqi and 850 other workers who moved the SHC against non-payment of their gratuities, leaves encashment and provident funds since May 2013. Their counsel, Haseeb Jamali submitted that gratuity and provident funds of the retired employees have not been paid by the PSM despite the court orders. He submitted that PSM had leased its land worth billion of rupees but the retired employees were not paid their pension benefits and other dues.

Taking exception, the court took asked the joint secretary ministry of production as to how the funds allocated for the retired employees and their outstanding dues were used for other purposes. The federal law officer submitted that transfer of land has neither been finalized nor the Economic Coordination Committee approved release of the funds for the land. The bench ordered to seize the accounts of the ministry of production till payment of the outstanding dues of the retired employees of the Pakistan Steel Mills.

The SHC bench also directed the PSM to provide details of amount entrusted to them as gratuity and provident funds and submit a detailed report about the alleged sale of 1,500 acres land for Rs.206 billion and adjourned the hearing till September 26.