M. Naeem Virk vs Government of Pakistan

IN THE FEDERAL SHARIAT COURT

( O rig in a l J u ris d ic tio n )

PRESENT

H O N .M R .JU STIC E DR.TANZIL-UR-RAHM AN - CHIEF JU STIC E

H O N .M R .JU STIC E FIDA MUHAMMAD KHAN

H O N .M R .JU STIC E NAZIR AHMAD BHATTI

SHARIAT PETITIO N N 0 .5 6 /L OF 1991

M. Naeera V irk ... P e titio n e r r / o 12 V ic to ria P a rk b e h in d H otel In d u s T h e Mall, L aho re

V e rsu s

G o vernm ent o f P a k is ta n R e sp o n d e n t C o u n sel f o r th e Nemo p e titio n e r

C o u n sel fo r th e G o v ern m en t Nemo D ate o f In s titu tio n 19-6-1991 D ate o f h e a r in g 12-2-1992 D ate o f d ecisio n 12-2-1992

P.N0.56/L/91

ORDER:

B y th is P e titio n , th e p e titio n e r h a s c h a lle n g e d S ectio n s 2 ( v i) , 6 a n d 7 ( 2 ) <i) o f th e P ay m en t o f Wages A c t, 1936. T h e se s e c tio n s a re r e p ro d u c e d a s u n d e r

" S e c .2 ( v i) . "W ages" mean all re m u n e ra tio n c a p a b le o f b e in g e x p re s s e d in te rm s o f m oney, w hich w o u ld , if th e te rm s o f th e c o n tra c t o f em p lo y m en t, e x p r e s s o r im p lied , w ere fu lfille d , b e p a y a b le w h e th e r co n d itio n a lly u p o n th e r e g u la r a tte n d a n c e , good w o rk o r c o n d u c t o r o th e r b e h a v io u r o f th e p e r s o n em ployed o r o th e rw is e , to a p e r s o n em ployed in r e s p e c t o f h is em ploym ent o r o f w o rk d o n e in s u c h em p lo y m en t, a n d in c lu d e s a n y b o n u s o r o th e r a d d itio n a l re m u n e ra tio n o f th e n a tu r e a fo re sa id w hich w ould b e so p a y a b le a n d a n y sum p a y a b le to s u c h p e rs o n b y re a s o n o f th e te rm in a tio n o f h is em ploym ent b u t d o es n o t in c lu d e -

(a ) th e v a lu e o f a n y h o u s e accom m odation, s u p p ly o f lig h t w a te r, m edical a tte n d a n c e o r o th e r a m e n ity , o r o f a n y s e r v ic e e x c lu d e d b y g e n e ra l o r sp e c ia l o r d e r b y th e P ro v in c ia l G o v e rn m e n t, ( b ) a n y c o n trib u tio n p a id b y th e em p lo y er to a n y p e n sio n fu n d o r p ro v id e n t fu n d ;

(c ) a n y tr a v e llin g allow ance o r th e v a lu e o f tra v e llin g c o n c e s s io n ;

( d ) a n y sum p a id to th e p e r s o n em ployed to d e fra y sp e c ia l e x p e n s e s e n ta ile d on him b y th e n a tu r e o f h is em ploym ent;

(e ) a n y g r a tu ity p a y a b le on d is c h a rg e .

" S e c .6. All w ages s h a ll b e p a id in c u r r e n t coin o r c u r r e n c y n o te o r b o th ."

” S e c .7 ( 2 ) ( i ) . d e d u c tio n s fo r s u b s c rip tio n s to , a n d fo r re -p a y m e n t o f a d v a n c e s from a n y p ro v id e n t fu n d to w hich th e P ro v id e n t F u n d s A c t, 1925 (XIX o f 1925), a p p lie s o r a n y re c o g n is e d p ro v id e n t fu n d as d e fin e d

in c la u se (3 7 ) o f s e c tio n 2 o f th e Incom e T ax O rd in a n c e , 1979 (XXXI o f 1979) o r a n y p ro v id e n t fu n d a p p ro v e d in th is b e h a lf b y th e P ro v in c ia l G o v ern m en t d u rin g th e c o n tin u a n c e o f s u c h a p p ro v a l."

2.With r e g a r d to S ectio n 2 (v i) o f th e A ct th e p e titio n e r s ta t e s th a t th e e x c lu sio n o f accom m odation, s u p p ly o f lig h t a n d w a te r, m edical a tte n d a n c e e tc . from th e m ean in g o f th e w ord "w ag e s" is c o n tr a r y to ju s tic e a n d , th e r e f o r e , is r e p u g n a n t to th e In ju n c tio n s o f Islam .

3.T h e follow ing V e rs e s o f th e Holy Q u r'a n a re r e le v a n t to th e le g a lity o f ' 3 ^ 1 ' ( w a g e ) :-

( T • : TA U ,jl c J l i

S he s a id : "My f a th e r in v ite s th e th a t h e may re w a rd th e e f o r h a v in g w a te re d (O u r flo c k s) fo r u s " .

j+ J * U » .l c « j l L L j »1 j -»-1 c J l »

( T1 :

Said one o f th e (d a m sels) : " 0 my ( d e a r ) f a t h e r e n g a g e him o n w a g e s :tr u ly th e b e s t o f men fo r th e e to em ploy is th e (m an) w ho is s tr o n g a n d t r u s t y " .

U— o* O1 ^

(\Y :TA ^

He s a id :" I in te n d e d to w ed o n e o f th e s e my d a u g h te r s to th e e , on c o n d itio n th a t th o u s e r v e me fo r e ig h t y e a r s .

" A nd if th e y s u c k le y o u r (o f f s p r in g ) g iv e them th e ir re c o m p e n s e ."

(VY •)A » c,J_icJ cJL~.y\ Jli

(M o s e s )s a id :" If th o u h a d s t w ish e d , s u r e ly th o u c o u ld st h a v e e x a c te d some re c o m p e n se fo r i t . " ih-'

.56/L/91

l.i.i<n«< p f ». ■' I cl->j J »■ ^

(r t :ir iw

A nd i f y e w ish to g iv e y o u r c h ild re n o u t to n u r s e , it is no s in fo r y o u , p ro v id e d t h a t y e p a y w h at is d u e from y o u in k in d n e s s ."

4.Ib n -e -Q u d a m a h s a y s t h a t 'w ag e' is a co m p en satio n w h a te v e r i t m ay b e . In h is w o r d s :

I 4ui* o «L*iU jJ ^ h e *1) I J U I jJ i j> - 'i I

(W age i s a co m p e n sa tio n , a s th e Holy Q u r’a n s a y s :

I f th o u h a d s t w is h e d , s u r ly th o u c o u ld s t h a v e e x a c te d some re c o m p en se f o r i t ) (1 8 :7 7 ) (Ib n e -Q u d a m a h V ol.5 p a g e 4 33).

A l-Z aila'i s a id t h a t : j S’ ^ L

(W h atev er p a id to an em ployee in co m p en satio n is

called 'w a g e s ') (T a b y e e n -a l-H a q a iq , V ol,5 P ag e 104).

T h e M ajellah s a id in A rtic le 404 th a t:

a.. 1

(U jra t m eans w h at is p a id f o r th e u s e o f a th in g ( k ir a ) i . e . th e p r ic e fo r th e b e n e f it) .

5.I t a p p e a r s from th e a b o v e m en tio n ed ju r is tic m ean in g s o f w ord U jra t (w a g e s) th a t e a c h a n d e v e r y th in g w hich i s , s e ttle d in th e c o n tr a c t o f I ja r a h , a s c o m p e n sa tio n , b y m u tu al c o n se n t o f th e p a r t i e s , is called U jra h (w a g e s ). T h e o n ly re q u ire m e n t is th a t th e u jr a h (w a g e s) m u st b e s p e c ifie d a n d sh o u ld b e know n (M alum ah) to th e p a r t i e s . While d e fin in g th e term Ija ra h Zaila'i says ^ j.l j —»• L «• y i— »»

.P.No.^L/91 - 5 -

( I jr a h is a c o n tra c t o f sale o f a know n u s u f r u c t w ith s p e c ifie d a n d k n o w n c o m p e n sa tio n ). (T a b y e e n -a l-H a q a iq , V o l.5 , P ag e-1 0 5 )

6.K eep in g in view th e ab o v e ju r is tic d is c u s s io n it becom e c le a r t h a t S ectio n 2 (v i) o f th e Law is so u n d a n d c o r r e c t a n d n o th in g is fo u n d th e r e in c o n tr a r y to th e In ju n c tio n s o f Islam .

7.S e c tio n 6 o f th e Law s a y s th a t th e 'w a g e s' s h a ll b e p a id in c u r r e n t coin o r c u r r e n c y o r b o th .

8.C oins s u c h a s d irh am a n d d in a r re m a in e d in common u s e in alm ost all c o n tr a c ts in th e tim e o f th e Holy P ro p h e t C 1 j - 1^ J j l |_yL» ) a n d d u r in g th e p e rio d o f K h u la fa 'i-R a s h id in .

S u c h m a tte rs a re g o v e rn e d b y th e p rin c ip le o f a p p lic a tio n o f custom and usage.

9.T h e re a r e s e v e r a l le g a l maxims w hich r e fle c t Islam ic Law in th is r e g a r d . It is s ta te d in M ajellatul A hkam ul A dlia ( - J jljJ I ):

L—oU- L L » i j l j J I (jjl

" 3 6 .Custom is o f fo rc e .

T h a t is to s a y , common u s e a n d c u sto m , w h e th e r i t b e g e n e r a l o r s p e c i a l ,'i s m ad e th e a r b i t r a t o r fo r th e e s ta b lis h m e n t o f a S h a ri'a h ju d g m e n t."

La . J“ « w.11 i— u - U l J t

" 3 7 .T h e u s e o f men is e v id e n c e a c c o rd in g to w hich i t is n e c e s s a r y to a c t ."

I J \ij—»

-S.P.No.56/L/91

" 4 3 .A th in g know n b y common u s a g e is lik e a s tip u la tio n w h ich h a s b e e n m a d e ."

10.K eep in g in view th e ab o v e m en tio n ed d is c u s s io n i t a p p e a rs t h a t s e c tio n 6 o f th e Law d o es n o t s ta n d c o n tr a r y to th e In ju n c tio n s o f Islam .

11.It may f u r t h e r b e o b s e r v e d th a t Ija ra h is a c o n tr a c t, w hich is g o v e rn e d a n d r e g u la te d b y th e te rm s a n d c o n d itio n s a g re e d u p o n a t th e tim e o f th e e n te r in g in to th e c o n tra c t b y th e p a r tie s . When a p e r s o n , e n t e r in to a s e r v ic e c o n tr a c t, re g u la te d a n d g o v e rn e d b y law , h e n a tu ra lly a n d c o n s e q u e n tly a c c e p ts , all te rm s a n d c o n d itio n s s p e c ifie d b y law , e x c e p t th o s e c o n d itio n s w hich a r e fo u n d r e p u g n a n t to th e In ju n c tio n s o f Islam . In o u r view , th e r e f o r e , section 7(2)(i) of the Act a s well does not appear to b e r e p u g n a n t to th e In ju n c tio n s o f Islam . T h e P e titio n i s , th e r e f o r e , d ism issed in lim ine.

( D r .F id a Muhammad K han ) ( N azir A hm ad B h a tti ) Ju d g e Ju d g e

A p p ro v e d fo r r e p o r tin g

CHIEF JU STICE

Islam ab ad , 12 th o f F e b r u a r y , 1992.

N a se e r.