ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: The Supreme Court would take up the petition of All Pakistan Newspapers Society seeking a declaration that Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973, was “violative of the fundamental rights of the owners of the newspapers,” and that the Seventh Wage Board Award was of no legal effect.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Shaikh Riaz Ahmad, would take up the petition which was filed in June, 2002.

The Supreme Court office, however, has received an application by the senior counsel Abdul Hafeez Pirzada for the adjournment of the case, as he was ill.

The application would be placed before the bench.

The petitioner association has approached the apex court under its original jurisdiction [Article 184(3)], contending that the matter of Wage Board Award was of public importance as the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973, was “violative” of fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 8 (law inconsistent with or in derogation of Fundamental Rights to be void); Article 9 (right to life, liberty, and security of person); Article 14 (dignity of man); Article 18 (freedom of trade, business, or profession); Article 19 (freedom of press); Article 23 (right to enjoyment of property); and Article 25 (safeguards and equality of persons).

The petitioner association contended that the provisions of the Act were “oppressive, unworkable, onerous and discriminatory” as it singled out the newspaper industry for its application.

The petitioner stated that classification of other employees of newspaper establishments along with the working journalists was patently discriminatory and unreasonable.