June 30, 2003	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 29,1424

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

PESHAWAR, June 29: A senior civil judge has put a leading national pharmaceutical company on notice for expelling one of their field managers without serving any show-cause notice.

Senior Judge Shahid Khan has fixed July 18 for hearing and directed the defendants, including the executive director and director marketing and sales of Ferozsons Laboratories Limited, to appear in person or through their counsel on the date.

A declaratory suit was filed by a former employee of the company, Salim Khan, stating that he was removed from service with a single stroke of pen without assigning any reason. He claimed that it was against the principle of natural justice to expel an employee without assigning any reason.

The suit was filed through advocates Sahibzada Riazatul Haq and Noor Rahim. The plaintiff has asked the court to declare the termination letter dated June 10 illegal and void. He also said the defendants should be ordered to pay damages to the tune of Rs2 million. The ex-employee stated that he had been serving in the company for the last more than four years.

The plaintiff claimed that he was appointed as a health care manager and, due to his good performance, he was promoted as field manager and posted in Peshawar. He has also produced various commendation certificates given to him by the company for his services.

Mr Khan stated that he had worked in various firms in 22 years in NWFP. He stated that with the act of the defendants, his career had been totally damaged as his reputation in the field had been destroyed. It was great injustice on the part of the company to expel its employees without any valid reason, he added.