ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Saturday rejected a plea by the Balochistan government to grant lifetime facilities to retired chief secretaries and their widows.

Justice Aamer Farooq, who headed the FCC two-judge bench, observed that the Balochistan government notification was over and above the pensionary benefits granted to chief secretaries.

The judgment explained that the Rules of Business do not empower the provincial government to issue such directions by way of notification, especially when there was no legal backing.

The FCC ruling came on an appeal filed by Balochistan’s chief secretary against the May 29, 2023, Balochistan High Court (BHC) judgment, which had also struck down Notification No. 13-25(5)/2019/SO-1(S&GAD) extending lifetime facilities to retired chief secretaries and their widows.

The controversy arose from a notification challenged before the BHC by Bayazid Khan Kharooti, which the court accepted. The high court held that such benefits could not be granted without legal backing in law, rules or regulations, adding that entitlements for retired civil servants must be clearly provided in legislation or policy and cannot be created through a mere executive notification.

While deciding the case, Justice Farooq observed that the high court’s reasoning did not suffer from any legal or jurisdictional defect warranting FCC interference; consequently, leave to appeal was refused.

“Any action, of whatever nature, must be firmly rooted in law and must be traceable to a legal source from which it derives its authority,” observed Justice Farooq adding this principle constitutes the fundamental affirmation of the constitutionality of our system of governance.

Justice Farooq observed that a careful review of the Balochistan Rules of Business, 2012, does not support the extension of perks and privileges to the chief secretary. On the contrary, Rule 3(4) delineates the structure and composition of the government of Balochistan by distributing its business among various departments, as specified in Schedule-I (Section B).

“The rule makes it clear that each department is to exercise only those functions that are expressly assigned to it, the judgment said.

In this context, Schedule-I (Section B) specifically entrusts the Finance Department with the authority to frame civil service rules relating to pension, leave, pay revision, and their interpretation for all government servants.”

The justice further observed that this allocation indicates that any matters concerning pensionary benefits, including those of the chief secretary, fall within the exclusive domain of the finance department, rather than the chief secretary himself or even the chief minister.

The court also noted that the notification under challenge was issued by the Services and General Administration Department, with the approval of the chief minister as the competent authority.

“Such authority is neither contemplated nor supported by the Rules of Business, therefore the action appears to have been taken without proper legal basis,” the judgment observed.

“Consequently, the notification, having been issued without the requisite competence, was appropriately struck down by the high court,” Justice Farooq observed.

Likewise, the Balochistan Civil Servants Act, 1974, provides that “on retirement from service, a civil servant shall be entitled to receive such pension, or gratuity, as may be prescribed.”

“Thus this provision of the act makes civil servants of the Balochistan government, which includes the chief secretary as well, to be subject to such pension or gratuity as may be prescribed. So, the pension of a civil servant is structured and is not beyond the bounds of the law,” the judgment emphasised.

“One is only entitled to such a sum that is permissible by the law. Now, the pension so prescribed is also governed under Balochistan Civil Servants Pension Rules, 1989, which provides for the rules relating to Civil Servants and their pension. The perks and privileges granted to the chief secretary find no mention in the rules either and thus, has no basis in law,” the judgment said further.

ISLAMABAD: Energy Minister Awais Leghari on Friday announced the end of load management across the country following the arrival of liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes.

In a video message posted on the minister’s X account, Leghari recalled that around two weeks ago, consumers had faced load shedding due to a shortage of gas supply. On April 13 and 14, up to five hours of load shedding had to be carried out. However, there was no load management from April 17 to 19, while from April 19 to 29, load shedding was reduced to two to two-and-a-half hours.

He said the recent electricity shortfall and scheduled load shedding experienced earlier this month were not due to any technical failure or inability to generate power, but because of temporary fuel supply constraints.

“After six to seven years, when Nawaz Sharif’s government ended load shedding, this is happening for the first time,” he said.

He said the gas shortage was caused by disruptions in LNG supplies amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict, noting that expensive alternative fuels such as diesel and furnace oil could have been used to eliminate load shedding, but this would have placed an additional financial burden on consumers.

He said the country had been forced to rely on expensive alternatives such as diesel and furnace oil to meet demand, warning that this would have increased electricity costs for consumers.

The minister said additional gas supplies, which were purchased on spot rates, had arrived. The minister added that hydropower generation had increased significantly, rising from around 1,000 megawatt to 6,000MW, helping improve supply levels.

The minister said that LNG cargoes had now reached Pakistan, improving fuel availability for power plants. “After this, load shedding has now ended,” he said, expressing hope that the country would no longer face scheduled outages.

He also dismissed claims about installed capacity shortages, saying Pakistan’s total generation capacity was around 32,000MW, not 46,000MW as claimed by some critics. He added that hydropower output varied seasonally, affecting overall supply.

He said that the government had to run furnace oil-based plants to overcome the shortfall, but efforts would continue to protect consumers from expensive electricity. “With timely measures, we are hopeful that the public will not face load shedding in the coming days,” he added.

The country has been facing a worsening electricity crisis, with the overall power shortfall reaching 6,500MW, leading to prolonged load-shedding in several regions and mounting public frustration.

“After April 1, the supply of LNG from abroad came to a halt, and Qatar declared force majeure. From that day onward, a significant gap emerged in meeting requirements that were previously fulfilled during peak hours through gas-based power plants,” the energy minister had said in a press conference on April 16.

On April 14, the Power Division announced that due to rising electricity demand during peak hours, electricity would be suspended for around 2.25 hours daily between 5pm and 1am countrywide under its “peak relief strategy”.

However, across both urban and rural areas, consumers reported outages far exceeding the limited “load management” described by authorities. In remote districts, electricity cuts stretching up to 12 hours, and in some cases as high as 16 hours, had effectively brought routine life to a halt.

“The purpose of this load management is to reduce the use of expensive fuel and prevent a rise in electricity prices,” the power division had said.

Since rising tensions between the United States and Iran in the Middle East led to a surge in petroleum prices, the government has increased fuel prices by more than 50%.

The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran in February, after which Tehran retaliated with strikes and closed the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil supplies and triggering a sharp rise in international oil prices.

Amid the rising prices, the government, in the first week of March, increased petroleum product prices twice, noting that the hikes exceeded the increase in the international market. However, the most significant increase was witnessed in April this year.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the labour force of Pakistan the “backbone” of society and a “pillar of national strength” in statements commemorating International Labour Day on Friday.

As the world commemorated the international holiday observed annually on May 1, the president and the premier issued separate messages to mark the occasion.

PM Shehbaz paid tribute to Pakistan’s labour force as well as its overseas workers, appreciating their “dedicated service” and terming them a national pride.

“On this occasion, I pay tribute to workers across the world, and especially to the hardworking labour force of Pakistan, for their selfless contributions and dedicated service,” he said in a statement on X.

He termed labourers, farmers, artisans, factory workers, and professionals across all sectors the “backbone of our society”.

“Their sacrifices, hard work and perseverance keep the wheels of life moving, from fields to factories, construction sites to workshops, at local level and right to the global stage,” he said, calling these workers a source of national pride.

The premier also appreciated the remittances of millions of Pakistani workers overseas, saying, “Our labour force, both at home and abroad, reflects our national capability, industriousness, and professional excellence … Their contributions towards the country’s future remain deeply valued and etched in our collective consciousness.”

According to the prime minister, the federal government has undertaken targeted initiatives to enhance the skills and professional capacity of Pakistanis seeking employment abroad. These include the National Skills Development Policy, under which “a comprehensive strategy has been developed to align our workforce with the evolving needs of industry, trade, and modern global standards”, he said.

He added, “Special emphasis is being placed on internationally recognised training, language proficiency, and certification to ensure that our workforce secures dignified opportunities worldwide.”

Additionally, he noted that national institutions such as the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and the Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) continued to strive for the welfare of workers and their families by providing pensions, housing, education, and other essential services.

He expressed resolve to “renew our collective commitment at government: both federal and provincial levels” and on an individual level to safeguard the rights of workers.

The premier called upon all stakeholders, including the business community and industrialists, to uphold the “dignity and protection” of the country’s labour force.

“We pray that the hardworking people of Pakistan continue to illuminate the nation’s name through their dedication, skill, and integrity, and remain a proud symbol of resilience, determination, and national honour,” he said.

President Asif Ali Zardari also issued a statement on the occasion, posted to his official social media account on X.

“I join the nation in recognising the historic struggle of workers whose sacrifices for fair wages, reasonable working hours and dignified conditions laid the foundation of modern labour rights,” he said.

“At the very beginning of our constitution, article 3 has been titled as ‘Elimination of exploitation’ and it says: ‘The State shall ensure the elimination of all forms of exploitation and the gradual fulfilment of fundamental principles, from each according to his ability to each according to his work,’” the president noted.

He extended his deep appreciation to Pakistani labourers, saying, “Their work … is the force that drives national development. The true strength of Pakistan lies in the hands of its labourers.”

The president added that Pakistan remained committed to upholding international labour standards and promoting fundamental rights at work, “including fair wages, social protection, the elimination of forced and child labour and non-discrimination”. He reaffirmed the government’s dedication to the International Labour Organisation’s conventions and achieving Sustainable Development Goals related to work and social protection.

He joined the premier in appreciating the overseas Pakistani workforce, calling them a “pillar of national strength”.

“Ensuring safe working conditions, fair wages and equal opportunities is both a national priority and a moral responsibility,” President Zardari said, adding that “investing in human capital is the most productive investment a nation can make”.

“I salute the workers of Pakistan,” he concluded. “You are not the margin of our economy; you are its foundation.”

According to the International Labourers Organisation (ILO), Pakistan has yet to ratify 55 conventions and protocols.

Labour laws exist but enforcement is weak, and despite government promises to create millions of jobs, issues like low pay, lack of social protection, and poor representation remain unresolved.