Sindh High Court on Friday sought comments from the provincial government, advisor to the Sindh Chief Minister on Labour and Human Resources Senator Saeed Ghani and other defendants to file their comments on a lawsuit questioning the power of the adviser to chair the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI)'s meetings. The SHC single bench comprising Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar was hearing the lawsuit filed by Qazi Abdul Wahab and 7 other employees of SESSI.
The plaintiffs' lawyer Nouman Jamali contended that the adviser to the CM on Labour and Human Resources was not competent to chair meetings of SESSI in terms of Section 5 of the Sindh Employees Social Security Act 2016. The plaintiff submitted that the meeting of the SESSI's governing body was held on September 23, which was chaired by Saeed Ghani. The meeting rejected the SESSI's revised budget for the financial year 2015-16 and announced to constitute a committee to examine irrational increase in the budget for the financial year 2015-16.
Jamali stated that the adviser, who has been granted portfolio of the ministry of labour and human resource, was running the SESSI individually and in clear violation of provisions of the SESSI Act 2016. Citing the Chief Secretary Sindh, SESSI's commissioner, Senator Saeed Ghani, Secretary mines. labour welfare Abdul Rahim Soomro, medical superintendent of KVSS Hospital Dr Nawaz Gahoti and others as defendants, the plaintiff requested the court to declare that the governing body meeting held on September 23 is unlawful and any decision taken by it is illegal, unlawful and void. The plaintiffs prayed to the court to declare that the adviser to the CM cannot hold the status of the minister in terms of Sections 4 of the SESSI Act 2016.