ABS & Co recently represented NBP in a writ petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC), where the firm successfully defended the Bank’s position. The Court once again held that NBP employees are not government or civil servants and therefore cannot be described as “Government Officers” on their passports.
The petitioner had challenged NBP’s directive requiring employees to correct the occupation column on their passports and the clarification that no NOC from the Bank is required for obtaining an international passport.
The Islamabad High Court reaffirmed that:
- The definition of “public servant” under Section 21 PPC is limited to criminal law and does not confer civil service status on employees of statutory bodies.
- NBP, established as a body corporate under the National Bank of Pakistan Ordinance, 1949, employs staff who are not government servants under the Civil Servants Act, 1973.
The writ petition was dismissed in its entirety, with the Court reiterating that NBP employees are corporate employees, not government officers and their passport entries must accurately reflect this status.
This case was successfully argued by Usman Jillani, Partner at ABS & Co, on behalf of NBP.
