PIA directs employees to return Rs80mn paid under annulled 2010 law

KARACHI: Following a Supreme Court decision on restoration of sacked employees, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has directed its 51 employees to return an amount of Rs 80 million paid to them under the 2010 law, ARY NEWS reported.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Mushir Alam on August 17 declared the Sacked Employees (Reinstatement) Act, 2010 as unconstitutional after it was enacted for reinstating the employees who were appointed from Nov 1, 1993, till Nov 30, 1996, and were sacked by then government from Nov 1, 1996, till Oct 12, 1999.

According to sources, 51 PIA employees were paid an amount while utilizing the PPP era law and the national flag carrier has directed them to return money amounting to Rs80 million.

“They are directed to return the amount in two installments with the first one to be submitted by September 30 while the second by October 31,” they said adding that a total of 114 employees were reinstated before the law and 63 of them got retired after completion of their tenure.

No one was restored in PIA using the law and only the amount paid to the employees who were reinstated before the law came into place will be recovered, they said.

Previously, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has suspended 26 employees in line with the Supreme Court (SC) orders of annulling the law.

the HR department of the Civil Aviation Authority has sent a letter to the departmental heads of the concerned employees and officers. The CAA has issued a list of 26 employees following the Supreme Court’s order.