Salaries and benefits: LHC sets aside recoveries form over 200 lecturers

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday set aside recovery of salaries and other benefits from over 200 lecturers working in different education institutions with retrospective effect.

The court passed this order in the petitions of Amna Mubarik and others and remitted the matter to the chief secretary Punjab with a direction to decide the same afresh keeping in view the court’s observations preferably within a period of 30 days.

The petitioner challenged the actions of the provincial government regarding reduction or reassessment of their pay retrospectively and the recovery of the past salaries as well.

The petitions’ counsel contended that the pay protection awarded to the petitioners had been withdrawn by the respondents.

He argued that the substantive rights of the petitioners cannot be affected retrospectively.

A law officer, however, said the issue involved in the petitions regarding fixation of basic pay of contract employees at the time of their regularization had been settled by the Supreme Court.

Even otherwise, he said, petitioners were civil servants and their petitions were not maintainable.

The court in its verdict observed that to claim such a right as has been granted to similarly placed other persons, is the fundamental right of petitioners and the Constitution extends protection to their right.

The court allowed the petitions and set aside the impugned actions being illegal and without any lawful authority.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025