SHC directs federal govt to pay Rs11.680b dues of retired PSM employees

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday directed the federal government to deposit the outstanding Rs11.680 billion post-retirement benefits of the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) employees by September 30.

The direction came on petitions filed by Syed Umar Baqi and 850 other PSM workers who had moved the SHC against the non-payment of their gratuities, leaves encashment and provident funds since May 2013. PSM Chief Executive Officer Shujah Hasan submitted a compliance report and stated that the post-retirement benefits of the petitioners had been deposited before the Nazir of the court in compliance with the court order. The Nazir also confirmed that an amount of Rs11.41 billion had been received in compliance with the May 18 order of the high court.

To a court query about the post-retirement benefits of all such retired employees of PSM who had not approached the court and allotment of their outstanding dues, the PSM CEO submitted that the total amount payable to such retired employees was Rs11.680 billion. Joint secretary of finance department Hafiz Abdul Hadi submitted that such amount shall be arranged by the ministry of finance and the ministry of industries after following the usual procedure.

A division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Nadeem Akhtar directed the federal government to deposit the admitted amount of Rs11.680 billion with the Nazir of the court by September 30. The high court observed that as the entire amount in respect of post-retirement benefits of the petitioners and other litigants had already been deposited with the Nazir, he should complete the process of disbursement to the beneficiaries in terms of the order of the court on September 30.

It is pertinent to mention that the court had directed the federal government and PSM to allocate requisite funds to settle the post-retirement claims of all such retired employees of the PSM who had not approached the court and deposit their claims before the Nazir of the court by August 31.