Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) has admitted for hearing a petition challenging the working of Lok Virsa with an NGO and its new rules drafted by its Executive Director (ED).

A petition filed by programme executive Hina Anwar of Lok Virsa came up for hearing before a single bench of IHC led by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani on Thursday.

Asma Shabbir Malik counsel for Hina Anwar told the court that ED Lok Virsa constituted a committee in 2015 and drafted rules to the effect that Lok Virsa will work with an NGO and the private organisation would provide all facilities to the employees.

The rules were not approved when in 2016 ED Lok Virsa not only appointed dozens of contract employees making these strong rules as base but she also told these employees that Lok Virsa will work with a private NGO and its every employee will now be called a private employee.

Justice Mohsin Kayani inquired how is it possible that rules were implemented before they were passed.

Advocate Asma Shabbir Malik told the court that if these rules are passed then the future of government employees will become bleak.

The court while agreeing with her arguments issued notices to secretary establishment, finance ministry and ED Lok Virsa and sought their reply onFebruary 14.

The court has sought assistance from the Attorney General of Pakistan .

It is pertinent to mention here that ED Lok Virsa Fouzia Saeed along with Nadim Ahmad, officer of an NGO drafted powerful rules through HR committee. Through these rules not only the rights of the employees have been encroached upon but also they have been deprived of the rights to move to court.

Advocate Asma Jahangir while talking toDaily Times said that these powerful rules are a bid to snatch their constitutional rights from the government employees. If these rules are passed then no employee of Lok Virsa will be able to file any constitutional petition in any court for the sake of rights because employees of private NGOs are not entitled to approach any court or forum for service related matters and their rights.