IHC takes up PTDC sackings petition today

Cabinet Division secretary to appear before IHC single bench

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will take up today [Monday] a slew of petitions filed against sacking of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation's (PTDC) employees and appointment of Special Assistant of the Prime Minister (SAPM) Zulfi Bukhari as acting chairman of the PTDC board.

The Cabinet Division secretary will also appear before the IHC single bench, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq. At the last hearing, the court had asked the government to explain why it had not filed its replies to the petitions – filed separately but clubbed by the court on July 10.

In the petition filed against sacking of employees, the petitioners had requested the court to set aside the governmental notifications of July 1 and July 7.

On July 1, the PTDC closed operations of 36 motels across Pakistan and fired up to 450 employees. The government had offered a financial assistance package of Rs1.3 billion to employees but they rejected it.

Some of the sacked employees later moved the IHC. On July 22, the IHC issued a stay order against new recruitment process in the PTDC. The petition challenging appointment of Bukhari as acting chairman of the PTDC board was filed earlier in January by a group of 14 PTDC employees.

The PTDC is a state-run organization, governed by a board of directors. It provides transportation to various areas and owns and runs several motels across the country.