Lahore High Court Issues Landmark Verdict on Government Employees’ Rights

Lahore: The Lahore High Court has issued an important judgment regarding government employees, with Justice Abid Hussain rejecting appeals against the reinstatement of dismissed State Bank employees.

According to the detailed eight-page verdict, which has been declared a judicial precedent, the court dismissed appeals filed by the State Bank and SBP Bank Services and rejected 10 related petitions. The court upheld decisions of the Labour Court and the National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) regarding the regularization and reinstatement of employees.

The court ruled that employees who have worked for more than nine months are eligible for permanent status. It also declared termination through verbal orders as unlawful.

The judgment ordered the immediate reinstatement of the dismissed employees with all benefits. The court further held that the State Bank should be treated as a commercial establishment, making labour laws applicable to it.

It clarified that internal regulations of the bank cannot override labour laws and noted that the institution’s record profits support its commercial nature. The court also rejected the State Bank’s stance based on a previous Sindh High Court ruling.