Summary
- Even if the department later withdraws the regularization order, the employee retains the right to approach the relevant Service Tribunal to protect his or her rights as a civil servant.
- Important ruling for regularized employees across Punjab According to legal experts, the Supreme Court’s decision could serve as an important legal precedent for employees in Punjab whose services were regularized under the Punjab Regularization of Service Act, 2018.
- Following the ruling, employees whose services were regularized and later withdrawn by their departments on any grounds would retain the right to approach the Punjab Service Tribunal to protect their service rights.
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that once an employee’s service is regularized under the law, the employee acquires the status of a civil servant. Even if the department later withdraws the regularization order, the employee retains the right to approach the relevant Service Tribunal to protect his or her rights as a civil servant.
- Security guards services were regularized
- Supreme Court sets aside Tribunal’s decision
- Important ruling for regularized employees across Punjab
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Ayesha A. Malik, delivered the ruling on August 20, 2026 while hearing several civil petitions filed by security guards of the Punjab School Education Department.
Security guards services were regularized
According to the case record, the petitioners were working as security guards in the Punjab School Education Department. After scrutiny by a committee established under the Punjab Regularization of Service Act, 2018, the department regularized their services on September 24, 2019.
However, the department later withdrew the regularization orders taking the position that the posts held by the employees had not been sanctioned. The employees challenged the withdrawal of their regularization before the Punjab Service Tribunal, Lahore.
However, the tribunal dismissed their appeals as not maintainable holding that the petitioners were contract employees rather than civil servants and therefore did not have the right to approach the tribunal.
Supreme Court sets aside Tribunal’s decision
The Supreme Court set aside the decision of the Punjab Service Tribunal and remanded the cases to the tribunal for a decision on their merits.
The court clarified that the petitioners had become civil servants after their regularization and were entitled to challenge any order affecting their rights as civil servants including an order withdrawing their regularization.
The court observed: “We are very clear in our mind that the petitioners, who were civil servants, after their regularization, could have challenged any order which infringed their right as civil servants, even if the said order relates to the withdrawal of their regularization.”
The Supreme Court also condoned the delay in filing some of the petitions in the interest of justice.
Important ruling for regularized employees across Punjab
According to legal experts, the Supreme Court’s decision could serve as an important legal precedent for employees in Punjab whose services were regularized under the Punjab Regularization of Service Act, 2018.
Following the ruling, employees whose services were regularized and later withdrawn by their departments on any grounds would retain the right to approach the Punjab Service Tribunal to protect their service rights.
While remanding the cases to the tribunal for decisions on merit, the Supreme Court made it clear that the earlier position that the petitioners were not civil servants would no longer prevent the tribunal from deciding the merits of their cases.
- Counsel for the Petitioners: Khawaja Khadim Hussain Khosa, Advocate Supreme Court and Muhammad Amin, Advocate Supreme Court.
- Counsel for the Respondents: Rana Shamshad Khan, Additional Advocate General.
