Islamabad (Turkiye Khabar) The Federal Constitutional Court has issued an important decision regarding the seniority of government employees, directing all government and semi-government institutions to update and publish their seniority lists every year for public access.
In its written verdict, the court stated that seniority lists cannot be kept confidential, and every institution will be required to publish them on its official website. The court directed that the lists must be updated and released every January with the latest information, while immediate changes should also be made after new recruitments, promotions, or confirmations of service.
According to the decision, the seniority of employees recruited through the same advertisement and in the same phase will be determined solely on the basis of merit, not on the basis of who joined service first. The court clarified that giving preference to earlier joining dates is against the principles of justice.
The court further stated that access to seniority lists is a fundamental right of every citizen and employee, and no institution can impose illegal conditions to deprive employees of their rights.
The Federal Constitutional Court accepted the appeal of Pilot Captain Muhammad Ali Khan and declared the controversial seniority list of the Port Qasim Authority null and void, ordering the issuance of a new and correct list.
The judgment stated that declaring the petitioner junior merely because he joined service one day later was unfair, especially when he held a better position on merit. The court clarified that an employee’s rights cannot be affected solely on the basis of the joining date.
The court also expressed concern over the failure of the Port Qasim Authority to issue a seniority list for several years and ordered that copies of the verdict be sent to the Chief Secretaries of all four provinces for immediate implementation.
