ISLAMABAD, June 3: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has expressed concern over the violation of court orders by the management of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC).

The Supreme Court had ordered the SSGC to reinstate its employees who had unjustly been dismissed from service. However, the management has chosen to mock the court orders by refusing to reinstate the employees.

Hundreds of SSGC employees were wrongly dismissed following the overthrow of the PPP government.

In a judicial process, the retrenched employees went up to the Supreme Court against their unjust and illegal termination which through a series of orders in 2004 gave relief to them including reinstatement in service in a large number of cases. The SSGC management, however, has still not implemented the court orders.

The PPP raised the issue in the Senate, which referred the mater to a special committee last year. The committee has held a number of meetings but the SSGC management continue to delay the matter.

The PPP chairperson said despite the pressures, men and women of conscience and courage within the judiciary did their best to uphold the rule of law. However, the military dictatorship was undermining the judiciary as well as justice by flouting court orders believing itself to be above the law.

She criticised the Musharraf regime for flouting court orders and for undermining the independence of the judiciary. She called for the immediate implementation of the court orders and reinstatement of the retrenched employees and payment of dues from back date.

Ms Bhutto said the regime had retrenched low-paid employees on the one hand and brought in serving and retired military personnel in civil jobs on the other.

She assured the government servants that the PPP stood for justice and fair play. She said the party was giving sacrifices on behalf of the working people, the middle class, labour, peasant, youth and intellectuals.

The PPP leader said democracy and development went together as did elections and accountability.

She said the PPP would stand by the oppressed and exploited classes of Pakistan and be their voice in the corridors of power.

Ms Bhutto said the days of dictatorship would soon end as had earlier military dictatorships of Gen Ayub Khan, Gen Yahya Khan and Gen Ziaul Haq.

She said she looked to the day when the people would no longer be orphaned because their government would protect them. She urged the people to support the PPP and its allies in the forthcoming elections to ensure the country’s social and economic uplift.