During the hearing, Ghulam Mohibuddin, MNCH’s counsel, produced an order which stated all 24 employees had been reinstated on January 26. STOCK IMAGE
The order was issued by a division bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Musarrat Hilali as the bench heard employee Irfan Jamal’s contempt of court petition.
During the hearing, Ghulam Mohibuddin, MNCH’s counsel, produced an order which stated all 24 employees had been reinstated on January 26.
However, when the bench asked when the employees will receive their pending arrears, Mohibuddin said it will take time as they will need to determine whether the employees have joined other organisations or not. Moreover, the counsel said employees will be paid as soon as funds have been received from the federal government. The total arrears of the MNCH employees amount to Rs60 million.
The court then gave the MNCH one month to pay the pending salaries of the employees. According to its order, if the payment is not made within the given period, contempt of court proceedings will be initiated against the relevant officials. The hearing was later adjourned till March 17.
In 2011, the provincial government removed these mobilisers from service without giving a proper reason except lack of funds to pay their salaries. Later, the employees approached the PHC which accepted their writ petition on April 12, 2014 and directed the government to reinstate them.
Subsequently, the provincial health department approached the Supreme Court to challenge the PHC verdict. On November 19, 2014, the division bench of SC justices Jawad S Khwaja and Sarmad Jalal Osmany dismissed the petition and upheld the high court’s decision.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 13th, 2015.
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