LHC rejects govt reply in workers layoff case

LAHORE:The Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan Thursday rejected a reply by the Punjab government calling it dissatisfactory to a petition questioning lay-offs of workers in industrial sector during the coronavirus related lockdown in the province.

The chief justice observed that the government’s reply was incomplete and lacked basic information. He directed a law officer to submit a detailed reply also containing steps taken for protection of the low income citizens and labourers.

CJ Khan also ordered the petitioner to submit a list of the workers of the industrial sector who lost their jobs due to the lockdown. Advocate Ishtiaq Ahmad Chaudhry had filed a public interest petition saying the sudden imposition of the pandemic lockdown caused immense suffering due to loss of employment and lack of food. He said the workers had been affected the most as their livelihood had been blocked due to the lay-offs at large scale. He asked the court to suspend all terminations, resignations from service received by employers whether oral or written and salary cuts in the industrial sector. He requested the court to order the government to ensure fair distribution of funds allocated for the workers in order to compensate their losses.

lawyers’ financial aid: The Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan Thursday constituted a six-member committee to deliberate the mode of financial support to lawyers affected by the coronavirus lockdown.

Acting Advocate General of Punjab (AGP) Shan Gul will head the committee with bar representatives.

Earlier, chief minister’s Principal Secretary Muhammad Saud made his appearance before the court following a previous order. Additional Attorney General Ishtiaq A Khan told the court that the federal law ministry was willing to extend financial support to the needy lawyers. He said the cabinet would take up the matter in next meeting. He said the law ministry considered an option of establishing a dedicated portal for registration of the lawyers and payment of support money to them under Prime Minister Ehsaas Programme. Pakistan Bar Council member Ahsan Bhoon told the court that an amount of Rs210 million had been lying with the federal government under the head of financial grant for bar councils and associations. He said the grant money could be distributed among the lawyers after making a certain criteria.

Chief Justice Khan directed the committee to furnish its recommendations on the mode of payment to needy lawyers by April 27. Lahore High Court Bar Association’s secretary Haroon Dugal had filed the petition pleading that lawyers had been suffering from acute financial crisis since the pandemic lockdown had been imposed limiting the movement and hearing of cases in courts. He said the government decided to support all people of all segments affected by the lockdown and earmarked funds for them. However, he said the government had not established any such fund for the lawyers who had no other option except practicing the law before courts. He asked the court to order the government to provide financial support to the lawyers and establish a fund to this effect.

tuition fee: The Lahore High Court on Thursday stayed a notification of Punjab University (PU) about recovery of ten per cent tuition fee per student annually from all private law colleges. Justice Atir Mehmood passed the order on a petition filed by a registered association on behalf of 17 law colleges.

Representing the petitioners, Advocate Safdar Shaheen Pirzada contended that treasurer of the PU issued the impugned notification illegally and unlawfully wherein it asked the colleges for the payment of ten per cent of total fee and dues (annual receipts) per student with effect from July 1, 2019. He said the impugned notification was issued on the recommendation of Finance and Planning Committee’s meeting approved by the syndicate. The counsel said the law colleges had already been paying huge affiliation fee and other annual dues to the university. He said the impugned notification was without any legal justification and the claim of the PU was quite vague and illegal. He stated that the affiliation rules had no mentioning of the tuition fee, therefore, the levy of impugned fee was not only illegal but dishonesty as well. He asked the court to set aside the impugned notification issued by the respondent university and the decision of the syndicate along worth the recommendations of finance and planning committee to this effect. The judge suspended the operation of the impugned notification and sought reply from the PU on next hearing.