KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday once again directed the director general of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and the managing director of the Malir Development Authority (MDA) to file comprehensive reports on the deputation of as many as 98 employees in the MDA.

A two-judge bench of the apex court comprising Justices Gulzar Ahmed and Sajjad Ali Shah was hearing the petition of former KDA employees who sought repatriation to their parent department.

During the hearing the bench members asked under what law the KDA employees were transferred to the MDA and why their salaries were not being paid to them.

“This is a matter of people’s livelihood”, Justice Gulzar Ahmed said and questioned why the authorities concerned did not realise the sensitivity of the matter.

The bench put off the hearing to Nov 28 as the MDA chief did not appear in court on account of his mother’s illness.

Petitioner Zahid Khan and others informed the judges that the KDA had transferred two land schemes to the MDA along with 98 KDA employees, who also included officers. They said that they were asked by the MDA to rejoin the KDA — their parent department — but the KDA was not willing to repatriate them.

Appeal dismissed

Meanwhile, the same bench dismissed an appeal of a sacked sub-inspector of Rangers for reinstatement after hearing the final arguments of the two sides.

Appellant Rahman Ullah stated that he was terminated from service as he remained absent from duty on account of his father’s death. He asked the court to direct the Rangers to reinstate him.

The Rangers’ counsel, however, stated that the sub-inspector was removed from service due to his patchy record.

Besides, he said, the service of Rahman Ullah’s was not regularised after a two-year probation due to his irregular record.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2017