Discouraging harassment: SC urges govt to protect lady health workers
Asks govt to ensure that job letters are dispatched directly to LHWs residences
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court has directed federal and provincial authorities to ensure the protection of lady health workers (LHWs) and make sure no harassment incident takes place as the LHWs go from pillar to post to obtain their letters of job regularisation.
The court also directed the authorities to ensure that the job letters are dispatched directly to the residences of lady health workers, hence nullifying the chances of any illegal or unethical demand being made for the handing over of these letters.
The two-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, was hearing a suo motu case on Thursday regarding the regularisation of hundred and six thousand lady health workers.
The bench has also sought affidavits from federal and provincial secretaries of health that all the letters have been delivered to the lady health workers at their residences.
Justice Khawaja asked the representatives of lady health workers to lodge cases against officials, who are harassing them in government offices. Lamenting over the miseries of the workers, he asked Attorney General of Pakistan that for how long the poor people would be humiliated.
The bench has also taken notice over the delay in payment of salaries of 322 lady health workers in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
On the last date of hearing, the court was surprised to know that lady health workers in ICT have not received the salaries even for the month of June so far.
The bench asked AGP that why the court was falsely informed that lady health workers in ICT got the salary of the said month. Justice Khawaja warned that the court will not spare anyone in fundamental rights issues. The hearing of the case was adjourned until November 21.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2014.
The Supreme Court has directed federal and provincial authorities to ensure the protection of lady health workers (LHWs) and make sure no harassment incident takes place as the LHWs go from pillar to post to obtain their letters of job regularisation.
The court also directed the authorities to ensure that the job letters are dispatched directly to the residences of lady health workers, hence nullifying the chances of any illegal or unethical demand being made for the handing over of these letters.
The two-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, was hearing a suo motu case on Thursday regarding the regularisation of hundred and six thousand lady health workers.
The bench has also sought affidavits from federal and provincial secretaries of health that all the letters have been delivered to the lady health workers at their residences.
Justice Khawaja asked the representatives of lady health workers to lodge cases against officials, who are harassing them in government offices. Lamenting over the miseries of the workers, he asked Attorney General of Pakistan that for how long the poor people would be humiliated.
The bench has also taken notice over the delay in payment of salaries of 322 lady health workers in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
On the last date of hearing, the court was surprised to know that lady health workers in ICT have not received the salaries even for the month of June so far.
The bench asked AGP that why the court was falsely informed that lady health workers in ICT got the salary of the said month. Justice Khawaja warned that the court will not spare anyone in fundamental rights issues. The hearing of the case was adjourned until November 21.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2014.