ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has ordered forensic audit of the pending cases of Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) and directed the secretary energy to file a report within two months.
A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, on Monday heard the SNGPL’s appeal against the reinstatement of its removed employees.
The bench noted that the SNGPL management was not taking interest in the pending cases. The court expressed concern over the large legal team of the company, and annoyed by the SNGPL MD Ali Hamdani for having no clue about the instant matter.
Bench member Justice Ijazul Ahsan said the public money was being wasted. He noted that the company’s legal team already comprised over a dozen lawyers, despite that they had engaged the service of another three lawyers.
The chief justice said SNGPL would become bankrupt by paying fees to the lawyers, adding by not pursuing the cases in the courts, it was suffering from millions of rupees in losses.
The secretary energy (Petroleum Division) assured that he would ask the SNGPL Board to investigate the matter. Upon that the bench suspended the Lahore High Court order for the reinstatement of the meter readers.
The High Court in 1998 had restored the meter readers, and ordered the SNGPL to pay them salaries.
The chief justice remarked that the company had over one dozen lawyers, despite that no one appeared on behalf of the SNGPL before the court. He said its ultimate damage was to the State.
The chief justice admonished the SNGPL lawyer who did not prepared the case well, asking, why not they cancel his licence, and told him to leave the courtroom.
The chief justice noted that the appeal against the High Court was filed in 2018, but the company’s legal team, later on, did not pursue the matter.
The chief justice observed that the lawyers take fee from the company but do not appear before the courts. He said, had the court not passed the order, the SNGPL would have employed 500 persons.
The bench, after issuing notices to the parties, adjourned the case for two months.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021