May 6, 2005	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 26, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, May 5: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a review petition of the All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS) challenging the Seventh Wage Board Award for newspaper employees. A three-judge bench comprising Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Rana Bhagwandas and Justice Falak Sher, however, observed that the Sindh High Court, which was seized with a similar matter regarding implementation of the wage award, would not be influenced by any observation of the Supreme Court.

At the outset, APNS counsel Abdul Hafeez Pirzada argued before the bench that the observation in the apex court’s earlier judgment of dismissing an APNS petition, in which his arguments had been made part of the order regarding APNS’ readiness to implement the wage award only to the extent of working journalists, had seriously prejudiced his position in the high court.

“The forum seized with this matter will decide the case in accordance with the law without being influenced by any observation of the apex court,” Justice Iftikhar observed while dismissing the petition.

Earlier, the Supreme Court through a unanimous order had rejected the APNS petition against the 7th wage award after holding that the petitioner could not invoke the original jurisdiction of the apex court, as the case did not involve matters of public importance.