The Supreme Court ruled that government departments must avoid unnecessary litigation regarding service matters. Justice Ayesha Malik, leading a division bench, set aside a decision previously issued by the Federal Service Tribunal.
The tribunal's ruling involved the promotion of employees within Pakistan Railways. The court observed that the Railways department was expected to act as a model employer toward its officers.
A dispute arose because the Railways department relied on merit from the Central Superior Services examination during the initial induction of staff. The Supreme Court recognized the practice of using CSS examination merit to determine seniority within the department.
Public institutions must develop a culture of administrative finality, the court stated. Justice Ayesha Malik said, "A government department must not function as a compulsive litigant, allowing institutional passivity to repeatedly drag settled controversies back into the courts, leaving civil servants in prolonged uncertainty while wasting public funds and consuming precious judicial time over issues already resolved."
