| Citation(s) |
|---|
| 2026 SLD 3486 |
Lahore High Court
Writ Petition No.78377 of 2025
Presented By: MALIK JAVID IQBAL WAINS JUDGE
Date of hearing: 06.05.2026 Petitioners by: M/s Hafiz Muhammad Tariq Naseem, Muhammad Akmal Khan, Mehmood Ahmad Qazi and Muhammad Tariq Shamim, Advocates.
Respondent-State by: Barrister Raja Hashim Javed, Assistant Advocate General, Punjab.
Respondents-Department by: Mr. Khurram Abbas Wahga, Law Officer, with Muhammad Imran, DDA, Nabeel Christopher, ADA, Abubakar, Assistant Legal, Aftab Ahmad Awan, DPWO Sargodha.
Writ Petition No.78377 of 2025
Presented By: MALIK JAVID IQBAL WAINS JUDGE
Date of hearing: 06.05.2026 Petitioners by: M/s Hafiz Muhammad Tariq Naseem, Muhammad Akmal Khan, Mehmood Ahmad Qazi and Muhammad Tariq Shamim, Advocates.
Respondent-State by: Barrister Raja Hashim Javed, Assistant Advocate General, Punjab.
Respondents-Department by: Mr. Khurram Abbas Wahga, Law Officer, with Muhammad Imran, DDA, Nabeel Christopher, ADA, Abubakar, Assistant Legal, Aftab Ahmad Awan, DPWO Sargodha.
Farhat Parveen
VERSUS
Government of the Punjab through Secretary Population Welfare Department, etc.
Law: Punjab Regularization of Service Act, 2018
Section: 2(c), 3, 4, 10
Law: Constitution of Pakistan 1973
Section: 4, 9, 25, 264
Law: Punjab General Clauses Act, 1956
Section: 4
Summary The Lahore High Court held that employees initially appointed under an ADP (development) project but later continued against sanctioned non-development posts after the project's conversion are no longer "project employees." Having completed the requisite three years of continuous service before the repeal of the Punjab Regularization of Service Act, 2018, they acquired a statutory right to be considered for regularization. The Court ruled that repeal of the Act does not extinguish accrued rights, set aside the Scrutiny Committee's decision rejecting regularization, and directed the authorities to process the petitioners' cases for regularization within 90 days. The Court further held that denying regularization to these employees while granting it to similarly situated employees amounts to discrimination under the Constitution. Tagline Employees initially appointed under development projects but later retained against sanctioned non-development posts acquire the status of contract employees and remain entitled to consideration for regularization despite repeal of the Punjab Regularization of Service Act, 2018, where their rights had already accrued. ORDER; MALIK JAVID IQBAL WAINS, J.: This judgment shall decide the instant writ petition along with connected writ petitions bearing Nos., 76039 of 2025, 72597 of 2025, Crl. Org. No.20768 of 2026 & 20796 of 2026, as common questions of law and fact are involved therein. Brief facts of the leading case i.e. W.P. No.78377/2025, are that the petitioner was appointed as Family Welfare Worker (BS-08) on contract basis under Project Management Unit for the Scheme titled —Expansion of Family Welfare Centres and Introduction of Community Based Family Planning Workers‖ (2014-18). It was asserted that vide letter dated 25.06.2021, Government of Punjab converted the post of the petitioner from development to non-development side, however the respondents-department did not regularize her service, resultantly, the petitioner along with others filed a writ petition No.3655/2022 before this Court, wherein direction was issued to respondents to look into their grievance, while…