The Supreme Court has directed to provincial authorities for immediate payment of salaries to the employees of Ushr and Zakat department and dought reports regarding the payment of salaries on 16 November.
A two-member bench of Supreme Court comprising of Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk and Justice Mian Saqib Nisar conduct the hearing of suo moto notice taken by chief Justice against non regularization of the employees of Ushr and Zakat department.
The court directed the provincial governments fr legislation regarding the regularization of employees and informed the court on 10th December regarding the initiatives taking for regularization of employees.
Mushtaq Ahmad Mohil advocate appeared before the court on the behalf of Association of Employees of Zakat and Ushr and contended that after 18th amendment the departments of Zakat and Ushr have handed over to the province and the salaries have been stopped and the provinces government are saying that the ministries were shifted to provincial governments but the federal government had not provided funds to the provinces for this ministry. The salaries of four months had not been paid to the employees, he added.
The provincial administrators appeared before the court during proceeding and contended that letters had been sent to chief ministers for the payment of salaries to these employees; meanwhile the administrator of Balochistan told the apex court that the provincial government is involved into legislation for the payment of salaries so court may grant them four months time.
Meanwhile the apex court rejected the request of the administrators.
The counsel for employees informed that the salaries of these employees are being given from funds of Zakat so that they are being treated indiscriminately;
He requested the court to idirect the government to pay the salaries of the employees from the national exchequer as like other employees of various departments.
The Counsel said that more than 40 thousand employees are working in Zakat department and some of them have salaries less than seven thousand rupees; meanwhile the court directed the provincial secretary finance to pay the salaries of the employees of Zakat department and submit a report on 16 November.