No government employee to draw salary under voided committee directives; ministries told to submit compliance reports within 10 days.
ISLAMABAD: The Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) has directed all its sub-offices across the country to stop the disbursement of salaries to employees reinstated under the recommendations of the Mandokhel Committee, following the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) ruling that declared those directives void and without legal effect.
A circular issued from the Office of the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR), Islamabad, on October 17, 2025, instructed all sub-offices in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, and Gilgit to ensure immediate implementation of the IHC judgment in W.P. No. 4657-2022, dated October 13, 2023.
“No employee of any ministry, division, or department dealt within your office should be drawing salary under the said Committee’s recommendations,” the letter reads, directing compliance reports within 10 days.
The instructions were issued with the approval of Additional Accountant General, and signed by Maria Hameed, Assistant Accountant General (TM).
Court Declared Mandokhel Committee Actions ‘Void’
The AGPR’s move follows the landmark Islamabad High Court ruling delivered by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani in October 2023, which set aside the directives of the National Assembly’s special committee headed by former MNA Qadir Khan Mandokhel.
The committee had previously ordered the reinstatement of hundreds of sacked employees from multiple state-run organizations including the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), Pakistan Steel Mills, Capital Development Authority (CDA), Ministry of Education, and even the National Assembly Secretariat itself.
The High Court ruled that the committee exceeded its constitutional and advisory mandate, issuing directives that had no binding legal authority. Justice Kayani observed that the committee’s recommendations “trespassed its jurisdiction” by directing reinstatements, ordering inquiries, and instructing the FIA to take criminal action against officials who refused to comply.
“The committee had admittedly exceeded its mandate,” the judgment stated. “Its recommendations carry no legal effect and are hereby declared void.”
Background of the Controversy
The Mandokhel Committee, constituted by the National Assembly in 2022, was tasked with examining cases of employees terminated following the Supreme Court’s 2021 judgment striking down the Sacked Employees (Reinstatement) Act, 2010.
However, the committee controversially directed ministries and departments to reinstate employees and even threatened disciplinary actions against officials who declined to comply — prompting legal challenges from several ministries, including the Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Division, EOBI, and Federal Directorate of Education.
During court hearings, the Attorney General’s Office and NA Secretariat’s counsel conceded that the committee’s role was purely advisory, and it lacked authority to impose or implement executive orders.
Compliance Now Mandatory
The new AGPR circular translates the High Court’s decision into binding financial action, effectively halting any payments to employees reinstated through the now-voided committee process.
Departments have been told to verify all payrolls, identify any employees receiving salaries under those recommendations, and cease disbursements immediately.
Officials confirmed that failure to comply could result in audit objections, disciplinary action, and potential recovery of unauthorized payments from concerned departments.
A senior AGPR officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the decision aims to “restore administrative discipline and end financial irregularities caused by politically influenced reinstatements.”
Political and Administrative Implications
The development marks the final phase of rollback against the Mandokhel Committee’s controversial actions, which had earlier triggered widespread confusion across ministries and state enterprises.
Analysts believe the move underscores a broader effort by the finance and establishment divisions to enforce judicial oversight and prevent misuse of parliamentary committees for administrative intervention.
The IHC verdict and AGPR circular together reaffirm that no salary, reinstatement, or financial benefit may be processed under the committee’s directives — a step likely to affect hundreds of employees reinstated under the now-defunct orders.
