Supreme Court to take up Wage Award case on 24th
ISLAMABAD- The Supreme Court (SC) will take up on March 24, 2003 the constitutional petition of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society, challenging the Seventh Wage Award for newspaper employees.
The case, which was fixed for hearing on two occasions in the past, was adjourned due to illness of Abdul Hafiz Pirzada, counsel for the petitioner association. It has been learnt that the counsel had returned from the US after treatment.
The three-member Supreme Court bench comprises Chief Justice Shaikh Riaz Ahmad, Mian Mohammad Ajmal and Justice Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi.
On the last hearing, the court had issued notice to the attorney-general, setting the stage for the case’s preliminary hearing.
Abid Hasan Minto and Akram Sheikh would represent journalists and newspaper workers.
In its petition under the direct jurisdiction of the apex court under Article 184(3), the APNS stated that the Wage Board Award was a matter of public importance as the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973 was violative of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 8 of the Constitution (law inconsistent with or in derogation of fundamental rights to be void); Article 9 (right to life, liberty, and security of person); Article 14 (dignity of man); Article 18 (freedom of trade, business, or profession); Article 19 (freedom of press); Article 23 (right to enjoyment of property); and Article 25 (safeguards and equality of persons).
The petitioner stated that the classification of other employees of newspaper establishments with working journalists was patently discriminatory and unreasonable.
The petitioner stated that even if it was accepted that the legislature was competent to enact the Act, there was no justification for extending its application to non-journalists.
Source: Dawn
Date:3/22/2003
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