ISLAMABAD: Issuing warning to Accountant General Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) Hafiz Muhammad Tahir for further strict penalty, the Federal Service Tribunal (FST) has fined him Rs 10,000 for what the tribunal termed “his clumsy attitude regarding implementation of the orders cannot be ignored.”
The FST bench, comprising Dr Nazir Saeed, Syed Muhammad Hamid and Muhammad Javed Iqbal Kasi, issued the verdict while hearing the case seeking provision of ‘judicial allowance’, ‘utilities allowance’ and ‘car allowance’ to FST Islamabad employees.
In its verdict, the bench directed the AGPR to deposit the amount in his personal capacity in the government exchequer and furnish a receipt in person on September 15.
Keeping in view AGPR’s denial to implement the court’s directives for administrative reasons, the bench stated in the judgment that “administrative orders cannot override the judicial orders at any cost, meaning thereby that the interpretation of law cannot be made on the whims of the respondent.”
The court’s verdict also reads that in the given scenario, non-implementation for any reason would amount to disobedience and violation of the order of the tribunal dated May 28, 2015, which provides a chance to proceed against AGPR for execution of order as provided under CPC.
The bench issued the aforementioned decision in a petition filed by Muhammad Saeed and three others through their counsels Muhammad Owais and Ishtiaq Ahmad.
The petitioners had pleaded the court for interim relief seeking implementation of FST and other courts’ orders directing the AGPR to sanction judicial, utilities and car allowances to employees of FST Islamabad, as was provided to employees of FST’s regional offices in Lahore and Karachi.
The court imposed the fine on AGPR after his blatant denial to implement tribunal’s order and awkward attitude towards the tribunal.
The AGPR stated before the tribunal that allowances could not be granted to FST headquarters employees until the Finance Ministry allocates funds for the purpose.
However, the petitioners counsels had contended the AGPR’s statement as misleading since regional offices were being provided allowances and other benefits for years.
