SC suspends LHC ruling on jobs quota

Notification is about allocating 20% jobs to the people in backward areas of the province

ISLAMABAD:

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday suspended a Lahore High Court (LHC) order, which had terminated Punjab government’s notification about allocating 20% jobs quota to the people in the backward areas of the province.

Hearing the case, the bench, headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan, observed that the apex court had validated this quota in its two previous decisions. Justice Ahsan said that the bench was suspending the LHC ruling for now and the case would be heard later.

The case stemmed from a 2018 decision of the Punjab government, allocating quota in jobs to the residents of backward areas of Bhakkar, Multan and Mianwali. Under the notification, residents these areas were to get 20% jobs quota for 40 years.

However, the people affected by the decision challenged the provincial government’s notification in the LHC, which declared the jobs quota as unconstitutional. On Thursday, the Supreme Court suspended the LHC order.

During the hearing, Lawyer Mudassar Abbasi told the bench that the jobs quota was not a violation of any constitutional article. He added that the quota had been allocated in accordance with sections 20 and 23 of the Civil Servants Act.