SHC issues bailabale warrants for Wadpa, KDA chiefs

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday issued a bailable warrant for the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) chairman for not complying with the court directives in the service matter of an engineer.

The warrant was issued on a petition of Aijaz Ahmed Qureshi who had sought employment benefits from the authority over his seniority in the service. The high court had on November 5, 2021, directed the Wapda chairman to complete the process with regard to payment of retirement benefits to the petitioner within 20 days and furnish a report. It warning that if the needful was not done, the Wapda chairman would be called in person to explain the position.

The WAPDA chairman was also directed to release an amount of Rs1,770,101 in the head of the pension contribution to the petitioner. As mater was taken up, a counsel for the authority sought one-month time to decide the matter of the petitioner, submitting that the process for scrutinising the process had been initiated to finalise the case of the petitioner qua his eligibility criteria as per the Wapda rules in accordance with the law.

The counsel submitted that it was a laborious exercise to examine the huge record of almost 30 years and required at least one month to settle the issue regarding the seniority of the petitioner.

A division bench of the high court comprising Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar and Justice Adnanul Karim Memon after perusal of the Wapda counsel’s statement, observed that the chairman had failed to comply with the court order.

The bench issued bailable warrants for the Wapda chairman in sum of Rs100,000 to be served through the Punjab IGP. The high court directed the Punjab IGP to execute the bailable warrant for the Wapda chairman and report on or before the next date of hearing.

KDA DG

The SHC also issued a bailabale warrant for the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) director general (DG) for not complying with the court directives.

Hearing a petition of Habibullah, the court observed that the KDA DG was directed to appear in person along with comments but neither he nor any one on his behalf appeared before the court. The court issued a bailable warrant for him in sum of Rs100,000 through the SSP East and directed him to submit a compliance report by March 22.