The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered reinstatement of 478 employees, sacked by Sui Southern Gas Pipeline Limited (SSGPL), from the date of termination. However, the reinstated employees would not get pending salaries and allowances for the suspension period. In addition, the court directed the SSGPL to submit a compliance report to the Registrar regarding reinstatement within one week.
A three-member bench of the apex court, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmad and Justice Jawad S. khwaja, disposed of a contempt application, filed by the aggrieved employees against the SSGPL for not complying with the orders of the court.
The SSGPL had terminated these employees from service during the period 1996 to 1998. In 2002, the court ordered their reinstatement, but the order was not complied with as they were restored from the date of court's order instead of their termination date.
The SSGPL counsel contented that the order of the court was implemented, but employees were demanding back benefits. The gas companies were already over-staffed, he added. He said that the court had not passed any order to give reinstated employees salaries and other allowances for the suspension period, but the employees were demanding the same.
Whenever, it was a matter to score points for political benefit, people were given jobs, but if the court directed for the same, why did the administration hesitate in complying with the orders? observed the Chief Justice. The employees were represented by Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gillani, Akram Sheikh and Shoaib Shaheen. They argued that the SSGPL reinstated these employees from the date of judgement of the apex court in 2002, however, the reinstatement should be implemented from the date of their termination.