ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court has set aside a Sindh High Court (SHC) decision in a case related to the employment of children of deceased National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) employees. The apex court ruled that prolonged delays and policy violations amount to a denial of justice and said such treatment of dependents clearly shows how kids violates justice.
The case involved petitions filed by families of deceased NBP employees seeking jobs for their children under the bank’s compassionate employment policy. These petitions were submitted in 2019 and 2022. However, no decision was made for several years, forcing the families to seek legal relief.
The Supreme Court nullified the SHC ruling, which had earlier dismissed the constitutional petition. The apex court said the High Court decision was not sustainable when examined against the facts and the applicable policy framework. It observed that ignoring the relevant policy and allowing petitions to remain undecided reflects how kids violates justice in administrative processes.
The court directed the president of the National Bank of Pakistan to decide all pending petitions within three months. It ordered that each case must be reviewed strictly under the policy that was in force at the time the petitions were filed. The bench made it clear that later policies cannot be applied retrospectively unless stated explicitly.
The Supreme Court strongly criticized the delay in decision-making. It noted that the petitions had remained pending for years without any response from the bank. Such inaction, the court said, deprives families of timely relief and reinforces the view that kids violates justice when institutions fail to act responsibly.
The apex court also clarified an important legal principle. It stated that judicial decisions apply prospectively unless a judgment clearly mentions retrospective application. Since the 2011 policy governed compassionate employment at the time of filing, authorities must decide the cases under that policy.
The court emphasized that dependents of deceased employees cannot be denied consideration due to delays or misapplication of later rules. It said failure to follow the relevant policy goes against the principles of fairness and justice.
Earlier, the Sindh High Court had relied on the General Post Office case to dismiss the petition. However, the Supreme Court ruled that this reliance did not justify ignoring the applicable policy or the prolonged delay.
In other news read more about NBP Honors Pinktober With A Message of Purpose And Compassion
The verdict was delivered by a three-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar. The ruling sends a clear message about timely decisions and policy adherence. It also highlights that administrative neglect in such cases shows how kids violates justice and undermines trust in public institutions.
