Holiday without funds: SHC issues notice to govt for not paying Christian employees
Sajjan Union’s Zulfiqar Shah says a special grant had been commissioned for payment of employees’ salaries on Monday.
The Sajjan Union had moved the court through a constitutional petition against the provincial government and the KMC administration for not having paid salaries and pensions. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued on Monday notices to the chief secretary, finance secretary and others officials, directing them submit replies on a contempt application over their failure to pay salaries to thousands of Christian employees of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and five district municipal corporations before Christmas.
The contempt application, filed by the president of Sajjan Union, Zulfiqar Shah, cited the chief secretary, local government secretary, the finance secretary and municipal commissioners of the DMCs as contemnors.
The applicant, represented by advocates Salim Khokhar and Nadeem Shaikh, asked the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the alleged contemnors as they failed to release salaries of the Christian employees before December 20, in violation of the court’s order of Nov 26.
The Sajjan Union had moved the court through a constitutional petition against the provincial government and the KMC administration for not having paid salaries and pensions to the employees for three months.
According to their counsel, the chief minister had announced that the provincial government would release funds every month for the payment of salaries to the KMC employees but no funds had been released for the past three months.
Meanwhile, Sajjan Union’s Zulfiqar Shah told The Express Tribune that a special grant had been commissioned for the payment of the employees’ salaries on Monday. The employees will likely receive the salaries by today, he hoped.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 24th, 2013.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued on Monday notices to the chief secretary, finance secretary and others officials, directing them submit replies on a contempt application over their failure to pay salaries to thousands of Christian employees of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and five district municipal corporations before Christmas.
The contempt application, filed by the president of Sajjan Union, Zulfiqar Shah, cited the chief secretary, local government secretary, the finance secretary and municipal commissioners of the DMCs as contemnors.
The applicant, represented by advocates Salim Khokhar and Nadeem Shaikh, asked the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the alleged contemnors as they failed to release salaries of the Christian employees before December 20, in violation of the court’s order of Nov 26.
The Sajjan Union had moved the court through a constitutional petition against the provincial government and the KMC administration for not having paid salaries and pensions to the employees for three months.
According to their counsel, the chief minister had announced that the provincial government would release funds every month for the payment of salaries to the KMC employees but no funds had been released for the past three months.
Meanwhile, Sajjan Union’s Zulfiqar Shah told The Express Tribune that a special grant had been commissioned for the payment of the employees’ salaries on Monday. The employees will likely receive the salaries by today, he hoped.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 24th, 2013.