While removing suspension order of more than 50 daily wagers of Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan, the AJK High Court has decided to adjudicate the plea seeking Corporation employees’ service regularization.
The Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan (USCP) is a state-owned enterprise – operates chain stores throughout the country that provide basic commodities to the general public at prices which are lower than the open market because the government subsidizes them whereas it has operation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Filing petition on behalf of his clients, Barrister Syed Abdul Basit Gillani has urged the court to determine legality of the USCP orders saying instead of regularization of these daily wagers employees services, the Corporation has issued removal from services orders.
Appearing before single-member bench of the Justice Shahid Bahar, advocates Syed Abdul Basit Gillani and Syed Mazher Azad Gillani argued saying the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Industries and Production in 2017, had issued directives to the USCP to regularize their services after scrutiny and verification at the Zonal Office. Barrister Gillani apprised the court none of the petitioners was regularized. Instead, they were removed from their services. After brief hearing of the arguments, Justice Shahid Bahar of the AJK High Court suspends relieving orders of the petitioners and directed the USCP to restrain from removing any of its daily wage employees. Declaring the employees’ removal orders null and void, the court ruled that “as per the stance of the petitioners, the said orders are liable to set-at-naught.” Later, the court adjourned the case till April 14,2025.
