A three-member Supreme Court bench on Wednesday gave a 10-day deadline to the provincial governments to pay pending salaries for four months to the employees of the Zakat department. The bench comprising Justice Nasirul Mulk, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and Justice Amir Hani Muslim was hearing a suo motu action about the regularisation of the contract employees of the Zakat department, the appointment of chairman of the Central Zakat Council, and a four-month delay in paying salaries to 4,800 employees. The court also ordered all the provincial governments to legislate for regularising the employees of the Zakat department. During the hearing, the representatives of all the provincial governments assured the court that the process of legislation would be initiated for regularising the department’s employees.
They told the court that the employees were getting salaries from the Zakat fund and after the passage of the 18th Amendment, the department had been devolved to the provinces, but funds were not released by the federal government. They said the provinces would pay the salaries after receiving funds from the federal government. The court was also informed that the Punjab government had released the salaries for July and that the remaining salaries would be paid soon. The court adjourned further hearing until November 16.
SC gives 10-day deadline to pay pending salaries to Zakat employees
