KARACHI, Aug 10: The Sindh High Court dismissed on Friday three petitions moved by State Bank employees against a regulation they claimed deprived them of job security. The petitioners had alleged that new regulations amending the 2001 regulations were notified in a hush-hush manner on June 30, 2005, and instead of being published through a circular letter, were displayed on the electronic display board. Through advocate Chaudhry Rashid Ahmed, the petitioners had said that Regulations 17 and 18(a) of the new regulations deprived employees of job security that had hitherto been available.

Appearing for the SBP, advocate Khalid Anwar said that no action had been taken against any employee under the new regulations and the petitions were based on apprehension alone. Federal government standing counsel, Mahmood Alam Rizvi, stated that display on an electronic board was a valid means of publication.

Dismissing the petitions, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Faisal Arab observed that the petitioners would be free to raise their issues with a competent forum if they were aggrieved by any proceedings taken under the impugned regulations.

Meanwhile, a division bench of the Sindh High Court on Friday granted interim bail to five men facing charges in a reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) regarding the alleged fraud of Rs9.1 million from the city government’s Adult Literacy Programme Fund, adds APP.

Petitioners Imtiaz Ahmed Tahir, Muhammad Sabtain, Syed Etammad-ul-Hassan Kazmi, Mohammed Arif and Syed Abid Abbas Naqvi were allowed interim bail and directed to furnish a surety amount of Rs100,000 each.

The petitioners are facing charges in a case filed against the chief accused, executive district officer (EDO) literacy, Shariq Illyas.

The advocate for the petitioners and DPGA NAB agreed that the petitioners would appear before the NAB authorities on August 13, 2007.

The division bench, comprising Justice Mohammed Afzal Soomro and Justice Rehmat Hussain Jaffery granted interim bail to the petitioners and adjourned further proceedings until August 20. —APP