Summary Constitutional Court struck down Balochistan perks notification, ruling extra lifetime benefits for former officials and widows illegal.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The Constitutional Court has struck down a notification granting lifetime additional benefits to former chief secretaries of Balochistan and their widows.
The court declared the perks, approved by the chief minister of Balochistan, illegal and dismissed the appeal filed by the chief secretary.
In a four-page verdict, Justice Aamir Farooq ruled that any government action taken in violation of the law is unjustified.
The court said retired officials are only entitled to pensions and benefits as defined by law, with no provision for additional lifetime perks.
The judgment clarified that only the finance department has the authority to frame rules regarding salaries, pensions and benefits, and that neither the finance minister nor the chief secretary holds such powers.
It further held that the approval of extra benefits by the chief minister in this case was unlawful.
Earlier, the Balochistan High Court had also declared the perks illegal, a decision that was challenged by the provincial government but has now been upheld.
