Judicial allowance: LHC summons finance secretary

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday summoned the finance secretary for not filing his reply on a petition moved by court employees seeking the special judicial allowance. A law officer, on behalf of the secretary, requested time to file the reply. The court summoned the secretary in person on November 20. Abdul Malik and others had filed the petition. Their counsel said the lower courts’ staff were performing duties similar to the employees of the Lahore High Court.  He said they were entitled to benefits as provided by Article 4 of the Constitution.  He said special judicial allowance, thrice the amount of the initial substantive pay, in addition to judicial and utility allowances, had been allowed to judges in district judiciary and LHC staff. He said the petitioners and their colleagues were dealing with a large amount of work, often much more than their counterparts in the LHC. He requested the court to direct the Finance Department to pay judicial allowance to the staff.

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