Legal Case Summary

Case Details
Case ID 73945373-6508-482e-8203-987fd63db056
Body View case body.
Case Number Civil Petitions Nos. 1240 to 1263 of 1997
Decision Date Dec 18, 1997
Hearing Date Dec 18, 1997
Decision The Supreme Court granted leave to appeal in this case due to the public importance of the question regarding the interpretation of the newly inserted section 2-A of the Service Tribunals Act, 1973. The petitioners, employees of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation, had their services terminated prior to the amendment, leading to a legal ambiguity regarding their rights to appeal. The Court noted that the Service Tribunal had declined jurisdiction based on the timing of the termination and the amendment, effectively leaving the petitioners without a remedy. The Court ordered that status quo be maintained regarding the employment of the petitioners until the appeals are resolved.
Summary This case revolves around the interpretation of the Service Tribunals Act, particularly the impact of the newly added section 2-A which designates employees of statutory corporations as civil servants. The Supreme Court of Pakistan dealt with petitions from Ghulam Abbas and 23 others, whose services were terminated by the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation. After the amendment to the Service Tribunals Act, the petitioners sought to appeal their termination. However, both the High Court and the Service Tribunal dismissed their appeals, leading to confusion regarding the appropriate forum for redress. The Supreme Court's decision underscores the significance of legal frameworks in protecting employee rights in the context of statutory corporations and highlights the necessity of clear jurisdictional guidelines. Keywords such as 'Service Tribunal', 'employee rights', and 'legal framework' are essential for understanding the implications of this case.
Court Supreme Court of Pakistan
Entities Involved Karachi Electric Supply Corporation
Judges MUHAMMAD BASHIR, JEHANGIRI, MUNIR A. SHEIKH
Lawyers K.M.A. Samdani, Advocate Supreme Court, Mehr Khan Malik, Advocate-on-Record
Petitioners GHULAM ABBAS, 23 others
Respondents Karachi Electric Supply Corporation
Citations 1998 SLD 1311, 1998 SCMR 483
Other Citations Not available
Laws Involved Service Tribunals Act, Constitution of Pakistan
Sections 2-A, 212(3)