LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Friday directed the Punjab Health Department Director General to submit reply in a petition moved by a department’s driver challenging stoppage of his pay. A driver had filed the petition saying that he contracted cardiac disease and got treatment at Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC). He said the respondent DG rejected the medical certificate of the petitioner when he resumed duty after the ailment.
The counsel said the respondent stopped salary of the petitioner without issuing any show cause notice. He argued that no one could be condemned unheard. He asked the court to order the respondent to restore salary of the petitioner.
After hearing the initial arguments of the petitioner’s counsel, Justice Qasim Khan expressed dismay over the punishment to the petitioner without affording an opportunity of defence and observed that the bureaucrats believed they were above the law. The proceedings adjourned till the next week.