SHC moved against security guards not being paid minimum wages

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday issued notices to the Ministry of Interior, the home department, the Employees’ Old-age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and the Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution (Sessi) on a petition against the non-payment of minimum fixed wages to private security guards.

Naeem Sadiq said in his petition that the interior ministry had formulated a policy for private security companies, binding them to provide basic salaries to private security guards hired by them in accordance with the government notification of minimum wages and other labour laws.

Sadiq said the provincial government had also issued notifications fixing minimum wages of unskilled workers at Rs33,280 a month for eight-hour workdays and Rs66,580 a month for 12-hour workdays.

However, he pointed out, these notifications are not being implemented by private security companies, and private security guards are being paid less than the wages fixed by the government.

He said that private security guards are performing duties in difficult situations but they are being deprived of being registered with the EOBI, social security benefits and other mandatory facilities the labour laws and regulations ensures for them.

He also said that the non-payment of fixed minimum wages to private security guards is a violation of the labour laws as well as the fundamental rights of the guards. He requested the court to direct the federal and provincial governments to ensure the implementation of the minimum wages’ notifications.

After the preliminary hearing of the petition, an SHC division bench headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar issued notices to the federal and provincial law officers, the interior ministry, the home department, the EOBI and Sessi, telling them to file their comments on the next date of hearing.

Gadani murder case

The SHC also directed the Ghotki SSP to submit a report stating if the final charge sheet has been filed against the criminals involved in the killing of journalist Nasrullah Gadani.

Pathani filed a petition with the court saying that her son was killed by influential Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Khalid Ahmed Lund and others when he reported on the extraordinary police protocols being provided to the lawmaker on May 24.

She said the police are not arresting those involved in the murder of her son. She requested the court to provide protection to her family and order a judicial inquiry into the case. The court at the first instance directed the Ghotki SSP to submit comments with the competent court whether the final charge sheet of the case has been filed or not.