MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): The Supreme Court of Azad Kashmir has upheld the decision of the Azad Kashmir High Court, dismissing a writ petition against the government’s legislation related to the regularization of ad hoc employees.
The court’s decision has cleared the way for the government to enact legislation regarding the regularization of ad hoc employees.
As per details, a bench comprising the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Justice Raza Ali Khan completed the hearing today. Chief Justice remarked that making laws is the job of the assembly, and the government has the right to make any kind of legislation.
The petition was filed by a person named Sarmad Ilyas against the High Court decision to dismiss the stay order on the committee formed by the AJK Prime Minister to enact legislation within 45 days regarding the ad hoc employees.
As per details, in 2021, the PML-N government made around 4,300 ad hoc and temporary employees permanent through legislation. However, the subsequent government of PTI appealed this decision.
Later, during the tenure of former Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, a committee was formed under the leadership of Minister of State Dewan Ali Khan Chughtai, which prepared a draft law that was approved by the cabinet in January 2023
But the Sardar Tanveer Ilyas government ended in April 2023, further delaying the legislation.
In September 2024, the ad hoc employees launched a protest movement, including a 17-day sit-in in Azadi Chowk, Muzaffarabad, demanding legislation for their regularization.
Then the government formed a committee on October 1, 2024, and promised the ad hoc employees that legislation would be enacted within 45 days. Senior Government Minister Colonel Waqar Noor Sahib was appointed chairman of the committee and government ministers Diwan Ali Khan Chughtai, Sardar Javed Ayub Sahib were appointed as the members.
The legislation faced further hurdles as on October 30, 2024, a person obtained a stay order against the committee from the High Court Registry Branch, Mirpur. Later, the stay order was dismissed by the High Court, and now the Supreme Court has also upheld the decision of the lower court.
After the SC decision, Ad hoc employees have demanded that the government enact legislation to secure their future and resolve this long-standing issue, now that there are no legal obstacles.
