KARACHI, Aug 26: The Sindh High Court reinstated on Tuesday 79 employees of the provincial social welfare department serving in grades 1 to 15.

A division bench comprising Justices Mrs Qaiser Iqbal and Khalid Ali Z. Qazi directed the respondent department to reinstate the petitioner employees within seven days and report compliance on Sept 3.

No reason was stated in the dismissal letters but the authorities believed that the petitioners were recruited during the caretaker regime inducted in November 2007 without being empowered to make such recruitment. In all, 131 such employees were sacked by the department. There were messengers, naib qasids, clerks, needle craft instructors and assistants among them.

Seventy-nine of the sacked employees who approached the high court submitted through Advocate Ghulam Mustafa Veenjhar that process that culminated in their appointment commenced in 2006. They were interviewed and subjected to medical test. They were issued final appointment letters in November 2007 but well before the induction of the caretaker regime.

They said they could not be deprived of their vested right merely because of change of government. Employment and security of service were among rights guaranteed by the Constitution and the government had no authority to dismiss its employees by a stereotyped circular without assigning any reason.

Additional Advocate-General Abdul Fatah Malik had no objection to the petitioners’ reinstatement. He informed the bench that the petitioners had been re-interviewed as desired by the bench and found fit for employment.

Another petition agitating the dismissal of about 100 employees of the culture, sports and youth affairs department was, meanwhile, adjourned by another bench. The court has restrained the respondent department from filling up the vacancies caused by the removal of the petitioners from service.