18 February 2004	Wednesday	26 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Feb 17: The Supreme Court has dismissed a Water and Power Development Authority appeal against the reinstatement of its six employees by the Federal Service Tribunal.

Employees Allahdad Mashori, Mohammad Hashim Baloch and Shahnawaz Mahar and three others were dismissed under the amended Wapda Act, 1958, without any show-cause notice or inquiry.

They challenged their dismissals before the service tribunal. A bench comprising tribunal members Nazar Mohammad Shaikh and Barkat Ali Baloch held the impugned orders unlawful and repugnant to the principles of natural justice and ordered the employees' reinstatement with retrospective effect.

Wapda challenged the FST decision and a two-member bench comprising Justices Rana Bhagwandas and Abdul Hameed Dogar asked the appellant authority to comply with the FST order so that its appeal could be heard.

The appeal was heard by a three-member bench comprising Justices Rana Bhagwandas, Syed Deedar Hussain Shah and Abdul Hameed Dogar on Friday. Upholding the FST judgment, the SC bench observed that no employee under the Wapda Act could be dismissed without an inquiry. Advocates Abdul Ghafoor Mangi and Siddiq Mirza appeared for the respondent employees and the appellant authority.