| Citation(s) |
|---|
| 2026 SLG 1355 2026 SLD 1355 = 2026 SCP 51 = 2026 SCMR 1106 |
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Civil Petitions No.5750 to 5784 of 2024 (Against the judgment dated 11.09.2024 of the Federal Service Tribunal, Islamabad passed in Appeals No.42(P)CS, 43(P)CS, 71(P)CS, 49(P)CS, 48(P)CS, 57(P)CS, 36(P)CS, 54(P)CS, 55(P)CS, 75(P)CS, 73(P)CS, 44(P)CS, 7O(P)CS, 91(P)CS, 81(P)CS, 56(P)CS, 51(P)CS, 79(P)CS, 84(P)CS, 52(P)CS, 53(P)CS, 58(P)CS, 47(P)CS, 45(P)CS, 69(P)CS, 80(P)CS and 82(P)CS/2022
Presented By: Mr. Justice Yahya Afridi, CJ Mr. Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan
Syed Hassan Ali Raza, ASC
Civil Petitions No.5750 to 5784 of 2024 (Against the judgment dated 11.09.2024 of the Federal Service Tribunal, Islamabad passed in Appeals No.42(P)CS, 43(P)CS, 71(P)CS, 49(P)CS, 48(P)CS, 57(P)CS, 36(P)CS, 54(P)CS, 55(P)CS, 75(P)CS, 73(P)CS, 44(P)CS, 7O(P)CS, 91(P)CS, 81(P)CS, 56(P)CS, 51(P)CS, 79(P)CS, 84(P)CS, 52(P)CS, 53(P)CS, 58(P)CS, 47(P)CS, 45(P)CS, 69(P)CS, 80(P)CS and 82(P)CS/2022
Presented By: Mr. Justice Yahya Afridi, CJ Mr. Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan
Syed Hassan Ali Raza, ASC
WAPDA through its Chairman, Punjab etc ..Petitioner
VERSUS
Iftikhar Ali Versus Muhammad Arshad Ghumman Nazir Hussain Abdul Hameed Muhammad Iqbal Waheed Ullah Sultan Ali Wagar Ahmed Abbasi Qazi Naseer Ahmed Noor Khan Noor-ul-Wahab Muhammad Tahir Nisar Badshah Muhammad Zahoor Walidad Mehbood-ur-Rehman Muhammad Zahid Abid Siddique Muhammad Tariq Javed Muhammad Iqbal Adul Wakeel Wakeel Khan Ghulam Sarwar Abdul Waheed Pervez Shah Fazal Naeem Syed Faisal Shah Mumtaz Ahmed Syed Tahir Abbas Iftikhar Ahmed Gul Nawaz Sabz Ali Syed Shakir Ullah ...Respondent
Law: Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority Act, (XXXI of 1958)
Section: 17(1-B),18,29
Law: Civil Servants Act, 1973
Section: 25
Summary The Supreme Court dismissed WAPDA's petition challenging the Federal Service Tribunal's judgment granting respondents (WAPDA employees) arrears of pay and allowances for retrospective pro forma promotions based on a combined seniority list from Tarbela Power Stations I and II. The Court upheld FR 17(1)'s proviso (as it stood before its 2022 omission), ruling that WAPDA's Office Memorandum denying arrears—issued under Section 18 of the WAPDA Act—lacks statutory force and cannot override statutory service rules applicable to WAPDA employees, deemed civil servants. Core Points Respondents received retrospective pro forma promotions after courts mandated a combined seniority list, resolving prior segregation between TPS I and TPS II. WAPDA denied arrears citing a 1987 Office Memorandum under Section 18 of the WAPDA Act, but the Tribunal applied FR 17(1) to grant relief. FR 17(1) proviso (pre-2022) entitles employees wrongfully denied promotion to arrears via pro forma promotion; claims arose before the 2022 SRO omission, so it applies prospectively. WAPDA employees are civil servants under Section 17(1-B) of the WAPDA Act, governed by Fundamental Rules with statutory force from the Civil Servants Act, 1973. Section 18 empowers administrative instructions only, not statutory rules (unlike Section 29); the Office Memorandum is non-statutory and yields to FR 17. Tribunal validly disregarded the Memorandum as incidental to resolving the service dispute, without needing express challenge to its vires. Petitions dismissed; no error in Tribunal's judgment. Law and Sections Law/Rule Section/Provision Key Description WAPDA Act, 1958 Section 17(1-B) Declares WAPDA service as service of Pakistan; employees deemed civil servants for Service Tribunals Act, 1973 purposes. WAPDA Act, 1958 Section 18 Authorizes WAPDA to prescribe procedures for appointment, terms/conditions of service, and disciplinary action (administrative, non-statutory). WAPDA Act, 1958 Section 29 Mechanism for framing statutory regulations with government approval (distinguished from Section 18). Civil Servants Act, 1973 Section 25 Empowers rules for service terms;…