The Sindh High Court (SHC) has taken a strong stance against frivolous litigation by imposing a fine of Rs50,000 on Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIA) for filing review applications deemed devoid of merit. The court’s decision comes after PIA challenged earlier orders related to labor disputes, which the court found to be without legal basis.
The case began in 2022 when PIA filed petitions against interlocutory orders rendered by the National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC). The SHC dismissed these petitions in November 2022, citing the absence of a provision for appeal in the Industrial Relations Act (IRA) 2012. Undeterred, PIA filed review applications in January 2023, which the court deemed to be beyond the allowed time limit.
During the proceedings, PIA’s counsel argued that Section 58(2) of the IRA contained a provision to assail interlocutory orders. However, when requested to identify the relevant constituent in the provision, the counsel failed to produce a copy of the statute. The court then read out the relevant provision, but the counsel remained unable to substantiate his argument.
The court observed that PIA’s counsel had failed to identify any mistake or error apparent on the face of the record or provide any sufficient reason justifying a review of the order. The court concluded that the applications were frivolous and devoid of merit, dismissing them with costs of Rs25,000 each to be deposited in the account of the SHC clinic.
This decision serves as a warning to litigants against filing frivolous cases, wasting the court’s time and resources. The SHC’s stance is a step towards ensuring that only genuine cases are brought before the court, allowing for a more efficient and effective justice system.
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