APNS petition not to be heard this week
ISLAMABAD- The petition of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) questioning the validity of a 1973 law that governs the conditions of service of newspaper employees, and thus the Seventh Wage Board Award, is not on the cause list of the Supreme Court issued for the current week.
The case was due to be heard on Feb 25, but was postponed at the request of APNS lawyers as the lead counsel, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, was abroad for medical treatment of heart ailment.
In its request for postponement of the hearing the lawyers had expected Pirzada to return in the first week of March and suggested that it may be fixed for a date in the middle of this month.
They had expected that the case may be assigned for March 14 but had not realised that due to Muharram Ashura, the Supreme Court will not be in session on that date.
The case was kept out of the cause list, as there was no confirmation from the Advocate on Record that Abdul Hafeez Pirzada had returned and would be available for a date during the week.
An assistant working at the Pirzada Law Associates here confirmed on March 11, 2003 that Pirzada was still abroad and, according to new schedule, he was expected to return to Karachi on March 18. A date for hearing may be fixed after the Fixture Branch receives a confirmation of his return to the country.
The petition which invokes direct jurisdiction of nation’s highest judicial forum says that Pakistan Newspaper Employees Act of 1973 is unconstitutional as it categorises all media workers as journalists and extends to them the benefits to which only working newsmen are entitled.
It thus questions the validity of the Seventh Wage Board Award which recommended upward revision of the emoluments of the news media workers.
Because of constitutional issues, the petition was retained by Chief Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmed for hearing by the First Bench over which he presides.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:3/14/2003
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