Federal Constitutional Court Warns Against Turning Proceedings Into Political Arena in Utility Stores Employees Case

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court heard the case regarding the termination of Utility Stores Corporation employees, granting additional time to dismissed salesman *Muzammil Rafiq* to prepare his arguments. The hearing was later adjourned indefinitely.

During the proceedings, **Justice Hassan Rizvi** cautioned the petitioner, saying, *“Do not turn the Federal Constitutional Court into a political arena.”* He noted that the petitioner had earlier withdrawn his intra-court appeal filed in the Lahore High Court against his dismissal.

Muzammil Rafiq argued that he had withdrawn the appeal based on the court’s advice and claimed that *12,000 employees had been terminated*. However, Justice Rizvi directed him to focus solely on his own case, questioning how he could directly approach the Federal Constitutional Court without proper legal guidance. He advised the petitioner to consult a lawyer.

Justice Rizvi further instructed the petitioner to read the **27th Constitutional Amendment** before the next hearing. He remarked that the Utility Stores Corporation had suffered significant financial losses, with major incidents of embezzlement detected. *“Is this what the government should be dealing with? The public did not benefit from the Utility Stores—only the staff enjoyed the perks,”* he added.

The court subsequently **adjourned the hearing for an indefinite period**.