GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN And Others vs MUHAMMAD HUSSAIN And 5 Other
The Government of Pakistan sought leave to appeal under Article 212(3) of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 against orders of the Service Tribunal. The Tribunal had issued clarification orders regarding the payment of salary and allowances to civil servants who had performed duties in Grade-18, despite initial appointment stipulations limiting pay to their lower substantive grades. The principal judgments, which held that these civil servants were entitled to Grade-18 pay and increments, had attained finality as they were not challenged. The Government challenged the Tribunal's subsequent clarification orders, which applied a 'length of service' formula to calculate the arrears. The Supreme Court observed that the principal orders establishing the entitlement had become final and were not under appeal. The Court held that the clarification orders did not exceed the scope of the original judgments and could not be challenged independently of those final orders. Finding no question of law of public importance, the Supreme Court refused leave to appeal, effectively maintaining the Tribunal's clarification.
- Can a clarification order issued by a Service Tribunal be appealed independently if the principal judgment it clarifies has attained finality?
- Does a clarification order that adheres to the scope of a final judgment constitute a new, appealable order?
- Is leave to appeal under Article 212(3) of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 granted when no question of law of public importance arises?
- Article 212(3), Constitution of Pakistan 1973
ORDER
1. SHAFIUR RAHMAN, J.--The Government of Pakistan seeks leave to appeal under Article 212(3) of the Constitution against orders of the Service Tribunal on miscellaneous applications explaining the real import of its earlier orders while allowing the appeals.
2. By judgments which have attained finality, as none challenged them, the respondent civil servants were held entitled to the pay and allowances admissible to them in Grade-18 for the period they performed the duties of that post irrespective of the stipulation in their appointment order that they would receive the pay in their own grade. The pay was also to include the increments accruing to them from time to time during the period of officiation.
3. The concerned respondents were denied the full benefits whereupon clarification was sought from the Tribunal which passed the following operative order in one such case which governed other cases as well:- "It was stated at the bar that certain officers, whose cases were on all fours with that of the appellant, had been paid on the basis of length of service formula. This was not controverted by the departmental representative. Also, the appellant has cited the cases of F. A. Barlas and A. H.
4. Gilani to support his contention which the respondents have not controverted in their written reply.
5. In view of the foregoing analysis, we accept the miscellaneous petition and order that the appellant shall be paid on the length of service formula. His claim of Rs.23,505.65 be looked into and paid immediately but not beyond the three months reckoning from the date of receipt of this order so that this sad chapter is brought to a close."
6. The learned Deputy Attorney-General contended that leave to appeal has already been granted in a number of cases to examine similar question of law, e.g. Civil Petition No. 655-R of 1983.
7. We find that the principal orders adjudicating the entitlement of the respondents have not been appealed against and have, therefore, attained finality. The clarification does not go beyond the ambit of the principal orders and cannot, therefore, be a subject-matter of appeal independently of the principal orders.
8. No question of law of public importance` arises in these cases. Leave to appeal is refused.