LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has allowed 752 contract employees of the health and population department to continue service, seeking replies from the provincial government authorities about their regularisation.

Justice Malik Javid Wains was hearing the petitions.

Advocate Hafiz Tariq Nasim argued on behalf of the employees that in pursuance of the advertisement published in 2015 they applied for the posts.

He said the petitioners’ eligibility was assessed, and through a hectic process they were appointed in 2015, and since then they have been performing their duties.

He said the petitioners had been converted into permanent employees through an order issued on March 31, 2021.

The counsel submitted that the petitioners’ case should have been referred to the scrutiny committee for the purpose of regularisation in the light of a judgment rendered in Rana Saifullah case decided by the Lahore High Court and upheld by the Supreme Court.

However, he said, instead of regularising the petitioners, the department extended their contracts up to Dec 31, 2025, which later stood expired.

The counsel pointed out that the health secretary, instead of honouring dictates of the LHC judgment, illegally opted for extending the petitioners’ contracts. All the petitioners had to be regularised by the government, he added.

Justice Wains sought reports and parawise comments from respondents and allowed the petitioners to continue in service till the next date of hearing, which will be fixed later by the office.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2026