Vacant posts: Govt looking to hire lawyers for Punjab Services Tribunal

The PST has been inactive since March.

LAHORE:

The government intends to hire lawyers to serve as members of the Punjab Services Tribunal (PST), The Express Tribune has learnt.

Nearly 9,000 cases are pending with the tribunal.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan, in its verdict on March 25, had issued guidelines for appointment of members of the Punjab Service Tribunal from amongst district and session judges, civil officers and advocates eligible to be appointed judges of a high court.

The court had also directed the provincial governments to terminate all retired officials re-appointed on contract.

At that time, two PST members, Ijaz Zaighum and Najam Saeed had resigned.



The remaining four members were directed to stop work until further notice. Their contracts were terminated on October 7 leaving only the chairman to carry on the judicial work.

The appointments would be made for three years.

On September 18, the Services and General Administration (S&GAD) had sent a proposal listing four officers to the Lahore High Court for consultation.

An official familiar with the matter said there was increasing pressure to hire the services of lawyers for the job.

The PST was established under the Punjab Service Tribunal Act 1974 to hear petitions of civil servant aggrieved by any final order, whether original or appellate, made by a departmental authority.

Civil officers can approach the PST within thirty days of the communication of such an order or within six months of the establishment of the appropriate tribunal.

The PST may, on appeal, confirm, set aside or modify the order appealed against.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2013.