MAQBOOL AHMED KHAKWANI vs SECRETARY, ESTABLISHMENT DIVISION, ISLAMABAD and 7 others

This matter concerns a petition for leave to appeal before the Supreme Court of Pakistan, challenging an order regarding the limitation period for an appeal filed before the Federal Service Tribunal, Islamabad. The core legal question presented for consideration is whether the petitioner's appeal before the Federal Service Tribunal could be legally treated as time-barred, specifically in light of the precedent established by the Supreme Court in the case of Gulbat Khan v. Water and Power Development Authority (1992 SCMR 1789). The Court granted leave to appeal to examine this issue, thereby setting the stage for a determination on whether the principles of limitation applied by the Tribunal align with the authoritative interpretation of the law as laid down in the cited precedent. The judgment serves as an interlocutory order initiating the appellate process to resolve the conflict between the Tribunal's finding of time-bar and the relevant Supreme Court jurisprudence regarding the computation of limitation periods in service matters.