A division bench of the Lahore High Court has directed the Privatisation Commission to make arrangements and pay pension and emolument dues within one month to the petitioner Abdul Majeed a former calligrapher in Progressive Papers Limited (PPL).
The petitioner argued that he was being denied the pension and the due emoluments since December 1, 1996. He added the PPL had terminated his service in 1991, with a pension worth 40 per cent of his salary. He said the Federal Service Tribunal, accepting his appeal on July 28, 2004, had ordered clearance of his pension under the PPL Pension Rules 1985. The Supreme Court refused to entertain the PPL Chief Executive's plea for denying the petitioner his pension and emoluments.
Representing Majeed, Muhammad Usman Arif advocate said despite the Supreme Court orders, his client was still deprived of his pension. "It is virtually a contempt of the Supreme Court of Pakistan," he added.
The counsel for respondents said the high court could not order implementation of the judgement of the Supreme Court and the Federal Service Tribunal because the PPL, being a privatised entity, was no more available in the field. The bench observed the preamble of the Privatisation Commission Ordinance 2006 provided for expeditious mechanism to resolve all disputes relating to privatisation.
The bench said even if it was assumed that the PPL was not liable to pay the pension, the petitioner could not be denied the right of pension, which would be paid by the commission. The bench directed the commission to inform the Deputy Registrar (Judicial) after complying with the court orders in a month's time.