DECISION ' These are six connected appeals involving common questions of law and fact filed by employees working in N.L.C. Against their termination of service by the Commander, Headquarters South Zone, N.L.C. Keamari. Karachi. The appellants had filed petition under section 25-A of the I.R.O. In the Vth Sindh Labour Court, Karachi for reinstatement. The Labour Court after scrutinizing the facts, law and notification came to the conclusion that section 25-A of the I.R.O. Would not be. Availed of by the appellants as N.L.0 was an attached Department of the Government of Pakistan functioning under Quarters Master General who was the Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of Army Staff General Head Quarters. That the entire set up of N.L.0 consists of Army Officers deputed to work in the N.L.C. Which is neither Industrial nor Commercial Establishment. These employees are appointed by the Army and terminated by them. They only work on deputation under the Government of Pakistan. Section 1(3) (a) of the I.R.O., 1969 reads as under:- "This Ordinance shall not apply to any person employed in any service connected with or incidental to the armed forces of Pakistan maintained by the Federal Government."
2. The persons working in the N.L.C. May be doing the work of transportation of goods as directed by the Government of Pakistan but being on deputation they have to be reverted back to their appointing authority for any act of misconduct or negligence and they are punished by the Army Officers including their termination from service. They are definitely connected with the armed forces and regarding their appointment and termination the civil forces have no authority. Even in the present appeals the two main respondents are the army officers working on deputation. It has therefore been rightly declared by the Labour Court that their appointment and termination are outside the jurisdiction of the Labour Court. Section 25-A of the I.R.O. Does not apply to their cases.
It has also been found by the Labour Court on facts that all the petitions filed by the appellants were barred by time having been filed beyond the period of limitation under the relevant section of the I.R.O. Applications filed for condo nation of delay before the Labour Court were rejected on merits and I can see no reason to overrule the orders of the Labour Court regarding limitation.
3. Under the circumstances the petitions of the appellants before the Labour Court were not maintainable and they have been rightly dismissed under a very detailed order giving reasons for the dismissal. These appeals are therefore dismissed in limine.