ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: The Pakistan Services Bar Association (PSBA) has demanded the government fill the four vacant posts of members in the Federal Services Tribunal (FST).
Talking to this agency on Sunday, PSBA member Shoaib Shaheen Advocate said FST was the only forum to hear the service litigations of public sector employees. However, due to shortage of members, particularly the four vacant posts, as many as 14,000 cases have been pending with the tribunal, causing agonies to the employees.
He said due to long pendency of cases, employees had been deprived of their residences and their children had to suffer displacements, causing disruption in their education. He said the government had been adopting an ad hoc policy in this regard.
He said 95 per cent cases of regular or final hearing were being adjourned daily due to the shortage of members while less than four cases were taken up each day. He said the lawyers in a meeting with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had urged him to fill the vacant posts in the tribunal and the premier had promised to appoint the members. But so far no steps have been taken in this regard.
Mr Shaheen said a quota for lawyers practising in the FST should be reserved and they be inducted into the tribunal on permanent basis with a status equal to that of a high court judge.
Supporting the insertion of Section 2-A in the FST Act 1973, he said it was a balance system of justice which should remain intact. He said the world over any citizen or employee could approach the court of law directly.
However, in our country no employee can move the FST directly as he has to approach his department against any complaint and after three months could approach the FST. -PPI
