SC sets aside plea for 600 JSMU employees’ regularization

KARACHI: The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition pertaining to the regularization of 600 employees of the Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU), observing that the Sindh Assembly should legislate on the issue.

In a hearing held at the Supreme Court Karachi Registry, Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa presided over the case concerning the regularization of 600 contract employees of JSMU.

The petitioners’ lawyer argued that despite the cabinet's approval for regularization, these employees were terminated.

The CJP questioned the validity of cabinet approval for regularization, observing that adherence to the law is paramount. He asserted that the Constitution does not grant the cabinet supremacy over the law. Instead, he suggested that the Sindh Assembly should enact legislation for regularization under legal frameworks.

Regarding the argument citing rules of business for regularization, Justice Isa warned against equating business rules with legal mandates for appointment and regularization of government employees.

In a related discussion, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail pointed out the precarious state of universities in Pakistan, noting widespread ad-hoc recruitment on contractual terms. He proposed imposing a ban on ad-hoc recruitment exceeding six months in all universities.

However, the CJP clarified that the court's role does not extend to governing or legislating, ultimately rejecting the petition.