Regularisation of services: PHC summons irrigation dept secretary

Rahman said the services of only 120 employees were later regularised while the other 480 employees were ignored

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has asked the secretary of the irrigation department to appear before the court and explain why the services of contractual employees of the department have not been regularised.

The bench, comprising Justice Syed Afsar Shah and Justice Ibrahim Khan, heard a writ petition on Wednesday. It was filed by Ahmad Din and Naseeruddin along with other employees. Petitioners’ counsel Aminur Rahman informed the court they were recruited on a contractual basis in 2004 for a project titled On Farm Water Management in 2004.

He said the services of only 120 employees were later regularised while the other 480 employees were ignored.

The attorney said the remaining employees approached the high court to have their services regularised and the court had decided the matter in their favour in 2011.He said the department challenged the PHC’s judgment in the Supreme Court which was eventually set aside. However, the apex court decided that a larger bench would hear the case.

Rahman said the larger bench of the apex court, after hearing the case, finally decided the case in favour of the employees and ordered the department to regularise their services.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2016.