During a hearing at the Supreme Court Karachi Registry, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa expressed concern over government institutions paying employees without any productive work being done.
Chief Justice Isa, alongside Justice Jamal Khan Mandukhel and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, heard a petition regarding the dismissal of contract employees from the Hyderabad Development Authority.
The court expressed dissatisfaction with the response from the petitioners’ counsel, highlighting the issue of government departments hiring excessive staff and providing salaries without tangible outcomes.
“We observe the actions of government institutions. Employees are being hired excessively, often without proper qualifications. This burden of unauthorized recruitment falls on the people of Sindh,” remarked Chief Justice Isa.
Petitioner Advocate Malik Naeem explained that the recruitment was initially part of a government initiative but later resulted in employees being dismissed.
Responding to this, Chief Justice Isa questioned the legitimacy of such actions, emphasizing that the government should operate within the bounds of the law. He raised concerns about the misuse of authority by individuals in power and questioned the source of funding for such initiatives.
When asked about the timeline of these events, the petitioner’s lawyer mentioned that the recruitment package was implemented during General Musharraf’s tenure.
Chief Justice Isa underscored the importance of addressing foundational issues, suggesting that mismanagement and unauthorized actions have detrimental consequences for the people of the province.
He questioned whether the government’s focus should be on providing essential services like roads, water, and electricity rather than allocating significant resources to salaries.
