The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the provincial chief secretary to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the director general of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and other officials for failing to fully comply with court orders regarding the payment of pensionary benefits to retired employees.
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A two-judge constitutional bench headed by Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon warned that coercive measures would be taken if orders continued to be disregarded. The bench observed that, despite repeated directives, “complete compliance has not been made.”
The matter stems from petitions filed in 2024 by retired KDA employees seeking the release of pensionary dues. After partial compliance, the petitioners filed contempt applications against the DG and other officials over delays. In August last year, the SHC had ordered authorities to ensure full payment within two months or face contempt proceedings.
In a recent interim report, KDA acknowledged financial constraints and said billions of rupees had been disbursed to approximately 1,407 retirees in line with earlier directives. The report further stated that the authority was exploring measures to address shortfalls, including a proposed one-time grant of Rs3,000 million from the Sindh finance department and adjustments to land transaction rates to boost revenue.
KDA officials maintained they held the judiciary “in highest esteem” and had no intention of defying court orders. However, the bench was unconvinced, noting that pension payments were a matter of “paramount consideration” and that continued delays could not be justified.
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During the hearing, KDA’s counsel offered to release an additional 10 per cent of dues within a week, but the bench declined the proposal and summoned the alleged contemnors to appear in person at the next hearing.
The court reiterated that full compliance must be ensured and warned that failure to do so could result in coercive action against responsible officials.