Annoyed SHC seeks reports in PSM ex-staffers arrears non-payment case

Irked over the non-payment of funds to the retired Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) employees from the Retirement Benefit, the constitutional bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday ordered the PSM, the Ministry for Industries and Production and the Ministry of Finance to submit reports by March 13, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.    

During the hearing, Justice KK Agha said the important point was to find out for what purposes the amount meant to pay the arrears to the employees was being spent. “In civilized countries, not paying arrears is considered a crime,” the judge remarked. 

The employees, in their petition, had stated that the government did release the money, but the steel mills’ management spent it on other purposes. 

If that allegation was proven, the judge went on to say, those responsible for that could end up in jail. “The PSM’s management will have to face the consequences for not stating the facts,” Justice Agha warned. 

Reporter: Mumtaz Jamali