Workers Welfare Funds case: Govt machinery does not work, says CJP

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed on Thursday remarked that government machinery does not work and the whole pressure comes on the courts.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed said this while hearing the case regarding development in workers welfare funds as the apex court sought detailed report from provincial governments of Balochistan and Sindh in this regard.

The court also sought details of pending cases in Sindh High Court (SHC) from the provincial government related to worker welfare funds. At the outset of the hearing, CJP Gulzar Ahmed remarked that worker welfare funds should be issued automatically.

“Why is not the government machinery performing its duty,” he asked. The CJP noted that the government had not set up a worker colony so far, the officers concerned were not releasing funds and are busy in tours to attend seminars.

Justice Gulzar remarked that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had set up worker colony but it had given ownership to the people. Under which law, the ownership was given to the workers, the chief justice asked.

These houses were only for workers, which supposed to be evicted after retirement of the employees. If the officers didn’t want to work, the court could issue order to the relevant companies to submit all funds to the top court.

The court itself could distribute funds among workers, the CJP remarked. The chief justice remarked that the top court would terminate the whole department. Whether the officers were appointed just to receive salaries while sitting with not work, he asked.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan said why the delay was made in distribution of cheques to the workers. The bench remarked that the worker welfare and EOBI funds couldn’t be spent elsewhere. The bench adjourned hearing of the case for three weeks.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court summoned the officer concerned in an appeal filed by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) challenging the promotions of its 32 employees, on the next hearing. The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed conducted the hearing on an appeal of FBR against the promotion of its employees.

At outset of the hearing, the FBR lawyer said it was a case related to 32 employees, many of them are near to retirement. The chief justice said the whole matter was messed up by an FBR’s officer.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan said it would be injustice if the promotions were canceled after the passage of 18 years. The bench asked the counsel to bring the relevant officer to apprise the court what the repercussions would be if promotions were declared null and void. The hearing of the case then adjourned for indefinite time.