SC issues contempt notices to health secretaries for not regularising LHWs

Sindh govt to issue issue offer letters to LHWs within a week

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court on Tuesday has issued contempt notices to federal and all provincial health secretaries for failing to implement the apex court’s directions regarding regularisation of Ladies Health Workers (LHWs).

The applicant, Central Chairperson of Pakistan Lady Health Workers Employees Association Bushra Arain, told the three judge bench headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja that despite court orders, federal and provincial government have not regularised services of 146,586 LHWs. She also complained that the LHWs were not getting regular salaries as well.

During the hearing, Additional Advocate General (AAG) Sindh Shafi Muhammad Chandi assured the bench that the provincial government would issue offer letters to LHWs within a week. He however made it clear in the provincial government’s reply that the provincial government would not pay salaries to the LHWs because the federation is bound to pay them until 2017.

AAG Punjab Razaq A Mirza stated that the Punjab government would regularise all LHWs within one month.

Similarly, all other provincial law officers have also requested the bench to give sometime for the regularisation of LWHs.

The court, however, rejected their plea in this regard and said that all the relevant authorities had submitted their affidavits to ensure that jobs of LHWs will be regularised but they have failed to fulfill their commitments.

The hearing of the case is adjourned until September 23.