ISLAMABAD, March 1: The Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees (ITNE) has ordered recovery of arrears of the Seventh Wage Board Award from the Independent Newspapers Corporation (Pvt) Limited, Karachi, as arrears of “land revenue” to be paid to the petitioners within 15 days.

The order came on a petition by Ilyas Chaudhry and 68 others against the Independent Newspapers Corporation (Pvt) Limited, Karachi.

Proceedings under Section 81 of the Land Revenue Act 1967 will commence forthwith in case payments (from July 2000 to December 2003) are not made within the stipulated period, says the five-page order of Justice Tanvir Bashir Ansari.

“The 7th Wage Board Award, which came into force on July 1, 2000, is binding on all the newspaper establishments,” the order said, adding the employers of the establishment concerned were under a legal obligation to implement it in letter and in spirit. The tribunal’s decision has been welcomed by the PFUJ and Apnec.