SC dismisses APNS petition
ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court April 8 dismissed the petition filed by All Pakistan Newspapers Society challenging the 7th Wage Board Award and the Newspapers Employees (Condition of Service) Act 1973.
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan and Justice Falaksher, observed that the petitioners could approach any appropriate forum.
The hearing on the question of maintainability of the petition under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution had been continued for three consecutive days. Senior advocate Abdul Hafeez Pirzada appeared for the APNS while senior advocate Akram Shaikh and Abid Hassan Monto represented the respondents (employees).
The counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petition was maintainable under the Article 184 (3) of the Constitution and a Judge of the apex court had held it maintainable. The counsels for the respondents submitted that a five-member bench of the apex court had already ruled that such a petition did not lie in the purview of Article 184 (3) of the Constitution and was not maintainable.
They had argued that the decision of larger bench was binding on the present three-member bench. They said the newspaper owners could challenge only the award and not the whole act which was constituted under the wage board.
Source: The News
Date:4/9/2004
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