ISLAMABAD (APP) - The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the management of National Bank of Pakistan to reinstate its laid off employees and regularize them with back date benefits. A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed and Justice Ch. Ijaz Ahmed passed the order. Akram Shaikh, counsel of the employees argued before the court that a total of 52 daily wage godown keepers were working in the southern region of National Bank of Pakistan Since 1985 but they were laid off from services in September 2003. He said the employees appealed to the Federal Services Tribunal which gave its judgement in their favour but the management of NBP did not implement the order. Out of 52 employees, six came to Supreme Court in contempt of court appeal which passed order of their reinstatement and regularization from September 2003 with back date benefits. The Chief Justice observed that poor people too had fundamental rights like all others and asked as to why contempt notice should not be issued in the case. Regional Chief of NBP Multan, Mohammad Amin Bazmi rendered an apology to the court and said that the employees would be regularized as ordered.