LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Saturday restrained the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from recovering salaries from Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) officials.

Authority’s Managing Director Ali Amir Malik and its Chief Operating Officer Akbar Nasir Khan had filed a petition seeking review of an earlier order of the court regarding recovery of amount they received above and beyond their regular salaries.

The officials contended through their counsel that they had been lawfully appointed after an approval of the then chief minister, chief secretary, home secretary and chairman planning & development. They pleaded that the authority had been established under an “Act” passed by the assembly.

They submitted that they had been paid under the law as per the nature of their job responsibilities at the safe cities authority. The petitioners said the NAB started issuing notices to them in light of the apex court order for the recovery of excessive salaries.

They asked the court to review its order about recovery of their salaries beyond their basic pay scale as government servants.

The chief justice observed the previous order was passed in light of the record presented by the NAB. He modified the order and clarified the NAB that the order for the recovery of the salaries would not apply to the officials of the safe cities authority.

The CJP had taken a suo motu notice of excessive salaries of government servants working in public sector companies. He had ordered the NAB to recover the amount the officers received beyond their basic pay scales being a government servant.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2018