ABDUL WAHEED vs SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT OF THE PUNJAB LOCAL

This matter concerns a petition for special leave to appeal filed by an Officiating Assistant Municipal Engineer against a judgment of the Punjab Service Tribunal. The petitioner challenged an order issued by the respondent, which had imposed a penalty of stopping three increments with cumulative effect. The core legal question before the Tribunal was the validity of imposing a penalty of withholding increments with cumulative effect. The Tribunal dismissed the petitioner's appeal against the order but modified the penalty, ruling that increments cannot be stopped with cumulative effect, and consequently converted the punishment to stoppage of three increments without cumulative effect. Upon review, the Supreme Court of Pakistan examined whether the Tribunal's modification of the penalty was in accordance with the law. The Court held that the Tribunal's decision to rectify the penalty by removing the cumulative effect was legally sound. Accordingly, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition for special leave to appeal, affirming that the Tribunal's modified order was not contrary to law. The key principle established is that the stoppage of increments in service matters cannot be imposed with cumulative effect.