SC to hear appeals in govt workers case in Nov

Employees’ services were restored for a day to pay them allowances

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided that appeals in the case against the restoration of the services of government employees hired during the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) last term in power just for a day so that they could be granted allowances for three years would be heard in November.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed observed that some people were treating the country as their private property.

“The services of these government officers were restored for a day so that they could be granted allowances for three years. Is the national exchequer a charitable institution?” he observed.

“Whoever comes to power mercilessly robs the national exchequer. Nobody cares about the taxpayers’ money,” he added.

A lawyer informed the court that government officer Akhtar Abbas was provided with Rs2.8 million in allowances after his services were restored. The matter was challenged but the Service Tribunal upheld the decision to restore the employees’ services for a day and granting them the allowances.

The Trading Corporation moved the Supreme Court against the tribunal’s decision. The Supreme Court decided that the appeals would be heard in November.