Judgment related with redressal of grievance petition of employee
PLJ 2003 · Peshawar High Court
This case involved a Pakistan Railways employee, Said Muhammad, who joined as a Pointsman in 1969 and was gradually promoted over the years, eventually reaching the post of Guard Gr-1 in 1994 after completing a required training course. He retired in 1997 with his retirement benefits sanctioned. However, after his retirement, Railways authorities launched an inquiry into several Guards' matriculation certificates, which was a prerequisite qualification for that post. Said Muhammad allegedly could not produce his original certificate, and in March 1998, seven months after his retirement, the department reverted him to his earlier, lower post, which would reduce his pension benefits.
Said Muhammad complained to the Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman), who ruled in his favor, holding he was entitled to full pension based on the higher post he held at retirement. Railways then challenged this decision in the Peshawar High Court.
The High Court dismissed the Railways' petition. It found that an employee cannot be reverted to a lower post after retirement, that Railways had failed to use the proper legal remedy of appealing to the President as required by law, and that another employee in a similar situation had been treated differently, meaning Said Muhammad faced discrimination. The court also noted Railways' negligence in not checking his service record earlier. It upheld the Ombudsman's authority to intervene in cases of maladministration, even for railway employees, and refused to interfere with that decision.
اس مقدمے کا تعلق پاکستان ریلوے کے ایک ملازم سید محمد سے ہے، جو 1969ء میں پوائنٹس مین کے طور پر بھرتی ہوا اور وقت گزرنے کے ساتھ ساتھ ترقی پاتا رہا، یہاں تک کہ مطلوبہ تربیتی کورس مکمل کرنے کے بعد 1994ء میں گارڈ گریڈ ون کے عہدے تک پہنچ گیا۔ وہ 1997ء میں ریٹائر ہوا اور اس کے ریٹائرمنٹ مراعات منظور بھی کر لی گئیں۔ تاہم ریٹائرمنٹ کے بعد ریلوے حکام نے متعدد گارڈز کی میٹرک کی اسناد کے بارے میں تحقیقات شروع کر دیں، کیونکہ یہ اسناد اس عہدے کے لیے لازمی شرط تھیں۔ سید محمد مبینہ طور پر اپنی اصل سند پیش نہ کر سکا، اور مارچ 1998ء میں، یعنی اس کی ریٹائرمنٹ کے سات ماہ بعد، محکمے نے اسے اس کے پہلے، نچلے عہدے پر واپس بھیج دیا، جس سے اس کی پنشن مراعات میں کمی آنا تھی۔
سید محمد نے وفاقی محتسب کے پاس شکایت درج کرائی، جس نے اس کے حق میں فیصلہ دیتے ہوئے قرار دیا کہ وہ ریٹائرمنٹ کے وقت اپنے حاصل ک