Islamabad - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday summoned managing director (MD) of Pakistan Television (PTV) and its controller (admin & personnel) to appear before the court in person in a contempt of court petition here on Tuesday (today).
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui issued these directions in a petition of Chaudhary Nadeem Iqbal and others who were seeking regularisation of their services. The petitioners moved this contempt of court petition through Hafiz Arfat Ahmad Advocate and in the petition, they made MD PTV Muhammad Malick and controller (admin & personnel) as respondents. In this matter, they had filed a writ petition praying for the regularization of the petitioners with all consequential benefits. They had prayed that this court may graciously be pleased to direct the respondents to immediately implement the judgment dated 04-11-2010 of the Supreme Court and accordingly issue regularization orders of the petitioners thereby regularizing their services from the date of their initial joining and letter of permanency be issued accordingly in the interest of justice, equity and fair play.
Later, the court on 07-08-2014 passed an order thereby allowing the petitions and directing the respondents in the following terms; “After arguing the cases at length, learned counsel for the parties agreed with the observation of the court that all these matters may be referred to PTV management with the direction to examine each case and extend the benefit of the judgments passed by the division bench of this court in ICA number 59 and 60 of 2012 and the judgment passed by the court of Pakistan in civil appeal number 725 of 2014 dated 18-06-2014, if cases of petitioners are at par with those employees who have been extended benefits of above mentioned judgments.
“It is expected from the management that the judgment passed in case titled Ejaz Akbar Kasi and others Vs Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and others reported as PLD 2011 SC 22 and above referred judgments shall be followed in their letter and spirit and no discrimination would be meted out to any of the employee. It is further directed that needful must be done within a period of 30 days, which period shall commence from the date of receipt of this Order,” the court noted in the verdict.
In the instant matter, however, the counsel for the petitioner argued that in pursuance of the judgment passed by the this court on 07-08-2014, the petitioners are persistently requesting the respondents/contemnors for the implementation of the judgment but despite lapse of more than 7 months, the respondents/ contemnors have not complied with the categorical judgment of this court. He contended that as reflects from the above, the respondents are deliberately avoiding to regularize the petitioners from their date of joining which shows their mala fide conduct and blatant disregard to the judgment of this court.
Therefore, he prayed that the contempt proceedings may kindly be initiated against the respondents and they may kindly be punished.
The counsel further prayed that the respondents/contemnors may be directed to immediately implement the judgment dated 07-08-2014 passed in the main petition of his clients.