The Federal Constitutional Court has restored 123 candidates to their government jobs, ruling that the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) removed them without issuing show-cause notices or giving them a hearing.
According to media reports, a two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan accepted the petitions filed by the candidates and rejected the position of the PPSC.
The candidates had passed the examination and had been serving in their departments for four months, drawing salaries, when the PPSC withdrew its recommendations for their appointment. The commission acted after a source report on the paper leak came to light.
Their counsel told the Federal Constitutional Court that the candidates were removed despite having cleared the examination and taken up their posts.
Justice Ali Baqar Najafi observed that the leaked paper was recovered only after the candidates had passed the examination and the PPSC had issued its recommendations. He noted that none of the candidates was served a show-cause notice or heard before removal.