Islamabad High Court seeks government response on petition for 9th Wage Board formation

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday issued notices to the federal government, requesting a formal response within two weeks regarding a petition demanding the immediate constitution of the 9th Wage Board for newspaper employees.

The petition was filed by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), the Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ), and the Islamabad High Court Journalists’ Association. Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar presided over the hearing.

During the proceedings, Advocate Shahid Mehmood Khokhar, representing the petitioners, argued that the 8th Wage Board Award, which became effective on February 1, 2019, has completed its five-year term and is no longer in effect. He stated that the 9th Wage Board has been due since February 1, 2024, and the government’s failure to constitute it constitutes a violation of the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973.

The counsel highlighted that under Section 9 of the Act, the federal government is legally obligated to establish a new wage board upon the expiry of the previous award. He maintained that the delay in forming the 9th Wage Board has adversely affected the rights and interests of newspaper employees across the country.

After hearing the arguments, the court directed the federal government to submit its response to the petition within two weeks. The case has been adjourned until the next hearing.