The Supreme Court of Pakistan is likely to give a verdict on Thursday in the case of thousands of government employees who were left jobless after the apex court annulled the 2010 Sacked Employees (Reinstatement) Ordinance Act, 2010, reported 24NewsHD TV channel

The federal government has presented a formula before the Supreme Court of Pakistan to reinstate thousands of government employees who were left jobless after the apex court annulled the 2010 Sacked Employees (Reinstatement) Ordinance Act, 2010.

Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan told the court he was presenting the “suggestions” after consulting the prime minister.

He said employees from grade 1 to grade 7 would be reinstated without any preconditions.

He added that employees from grade 8 to grade 17 will have to take a test conducted by the Federal Public Service Commission. The test will be held within three months and meanwhile, they would be considered ad hoc or temporary employees.

The government would not take back the money given to the employees in salaries and perks.

The attorney general told the court that the apex court’s decision to annul the sacked employees act had left 5,947 employees from 38 federal institutions jobless.

Justice Qazi Amin said the Supreme Court of Pakistan did not order to sack any employee and it had only annulled the law.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said that an ordinance has to be passed as an act in the Parliament and that in this case the employees who were reinstated by the ordinance were not protected under the act.

He questioned how employees reinstated in 2009 under an ordinance continued to work until now and how public servants dismissed on corruption charges were reinstated by Parliament.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial said the bench would consider the government suggestions and make an observation on Thursday.

Justice Sajjad Ali Shah said the court will also examine whether the government formula will change the court verdict. On the other hand, the sacked employees have reportedly rejected the government proposal.

In 2010, the Pakistan People’s Party government passed the Sacked Employees (Reinstatement) Ordinance Act, 2010 shortly after it promulgated an ordinance to reinstate over 16,000 government employees who were sacked in 1996 by the then Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz government.

However, the Supreme Court declared the Sacked Employees (Reinstatement) Ordinance Act, 2010 illegal and unconstitutional in August 2021 and the employees were again sent home. Most of these sacked employees have protested in different cities of the country.