Court seeks explanations from KDA officials on cuts in pensioners’ dues

Petitioner's lawyer maintains faulty formula being used to calculate payments

KARACHI:

Irked at the reductions made in the dues to be paid to the Karachi Development Authority's (KDA's) former employees, the Sindh High Court sought on Thursday explanations from the KDA director general and member finance, KDA on the matter. A two-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito, directed the KDA officials to appear in person before the court on Friday (today).

Hearing a case pertaining to cuts in the pensioners' dues, the court enquired from KDA official the amount of dues that remained to be paid to former KDA employees.

The officials told the court that 36 per cent of the dues were yet to paid, at which the counsel for the petitioners claimed that the officials were misleading the court.

"They have devised a faulty formula [to calculate the remaining dues] and a large amount is left to be paid to the pensioners," he contended.

At this, the court called the member finance, KDA to the rostrum.

"Here a man's pension has been withheld and you are busy making new formulae," the court censured the member. "Who asked you to devise a new formula?"

Justice Mazhar, in particular, remarked, "Will you understand the gravity of the situation if we withhold your salary? Who are you to devise a formula?"

Continuing the rebuke, the court warned "We will resurrect a previous order and the payment of salary to everyone will be stopped." It further stated, "Who is responsible for this mess? Do you think you are doing people a favour of giving them charity instead of their dues?"

The court also observed that a Supreme Court order dictated that the proceedings for the completion of pension papers were to be completed before an employee's retirement.

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Warning the member finance that warrants for his arrest could be issued, the court remarked, "Under which law are the dues of poor people being reduced, while officers in service continue to sit in the comfort of their homes?"

Following the court's rebuke of the KDA official, the counsel for the petitioner stated that pension had been cut in intervals.

Upon receiving this information, the court directed the KDA DG and the member finance KDA to appear before it in person on Friday (today) and give an explanation on the matter.

Illegal land occupation case

Separately, the court issued notices to the KDA DG, Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and other parties, seeking their replies on a plea pertaining to the alleged illegal occupation of parks and China cutting of the said amenity plots in Gulistan-e-Johar block-I.

The counsel for the petitioner maintained that the land for the park had been illegally occupied through forged documents. He moved the court to direct the relevant authorities to free the land of illegal occupation in light Supreme Court orders.

At this, the court issued notices to the KDA DG, SBCA and other parties, seeking their replies on the plea on March 24.

Teachers' promotions

Hearing another plea, pertaining to teachers' promotions, the court issued a notice to the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) schools human resources (HR) director.

The counsel for the petitioners told the court that teachers, who had been teaching at DHA schools for years, were not being promoted.

At this, the court issued a notice to the DHA schools HR director, seeking his reply on the plea on March 24.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2021.