Employees reinstated by IHC: SC orders PCB not to take any adverse action

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued directives to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) not to take any adverse action against its employees, who were reinstated by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on May 17, 2014. A three-member bench led by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali resumed the hearing of an appeal of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Co-ordination against the Islamabad High Court (IHC) verdict of May 17, 2014, that had reinstated Zaka Ashraf as the PCB chairman.
During the course of hearing, in response to a contempt plea filed by a member of the scrutiny committee of PCB Arbab Altaf Hussain, the bench asked PCB management to submit replies by next date of hearing. Arbab Altaf Hussain had urged the court to issue contempt notices to Najam Sethi, Chairman PCB, Muhammad Ijaz Chaudhry, Secretary Ministry of Inter-Provincial Co-ordination, Shehryar Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Naveed Akram Cheema, Shakil Sheikh, Yousuf Nadeem Khokar and Iqbal Qasim for 'colourful' interpretation of the interim order of the apex court of May 21, 2014.
Imtiaz Siddiqui, the counsel for Zaka Ashraf, sought adjournment in the instant case on grounds in relation to production of record relating to instant matter including certain notifications, adding that after the IHC reinstated his client as Chairman of the PCB on May 17 along with other employees of the Board, he took over the charge as head of the Board on May 19, 2014 and a press release was also issued. He also submitted while the apex court reinstated Najam Sethi as Chairman of the PCB on May 21, Sethi terminated as many as 38 employees of the Board who were restored by the IHC. To which Justice Jamali observed that suspension of the IHC verdict in the current matter was not meant for any adverse action against the employees of the Board.
Addressing Asman Jehangir, the counsel for the Ministry of Inter Provincial Co-ordination, Justice Jamali asked her to protect the employment rights of the PCB being a senior lawyer to which she responded that she has no objection over continuation of service of these employees but at the same time she said that at present the environment was not quite good at PCB. However, she contended that such employees may get all the benefits till the final decision of the apex court in the current matter.
The bench barred the administration of the PCB from taking any adverse action against such employees till final decision, saying that the status-quo pertaining to the reinstatement of Najam Sethi as Chairman PCB will remain intact till its final decision. During hearing, Najam Sethi, Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board, and former Chairman Zaka Ashraf were also present in the court room. Hearing of the matter was adjourned for two weeks.