File a Grievance Petition at the NIRC Against Wrongful Dismissal
Dismissed from a job in Islamabad or a multi-province firm? Send a grievance notice in 90 days, then file at the NIRC within 60. Steps, papers and time limits.
If you were dismissed from a job in Islamabad, or at a company that works in more than one province, send your employer a written grievance notice within 90 days. If there is no reply in 15 days, or the reply is unfair, file a grievance petition at the NIRC within the next 60 days.
The National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) is the labour court for these workers. It works under section 33 of the Industrial Relations Act 2012. Its published judgments include cases against banks, gas and power companies and an airline, because such firms operate across provinces.
We read section 33 of the Act on the Pakistan Code and the NIRC's own filing rules on its website on 2 October 2026. The grievance notice is the step most dismissed workers miss. Without it, the NIRC grievance petition fails.
Who can file a grievance petition at the NIRC
A "worker" under the Industrial Relations Act 2012 can file. That means an employee or supervisor, hired directly or through a contractor, at an establishment in Islamabad or one doing business in more than one province. Managers and administrative staff are left out.
Section 1 of the Act applies it to establishments in the Islamabad Capital Territory and to those "carrying on business in more than one province". Section 2 defines a worker to include a supervisor or an apprentice, and someone hired through a contractor. It excludes anyone "employed mainly in managerial or administrative capacity".
The Act does not apply to the police, the armed forces and defence installations, or state administration staff who are not workmen. It also leaves out the Pakistan Security Printing Corporation and non-commercial hospitals and care homes.
| Where you worked | Where to file |
|---|---|
| Establishment in Islamabad | NIRC |
| Company with business in more than one province | NIRC |
| Business in one province only, Punjab | Punjab Labour Court |
| Business in one province only, elsewhere | That province's labour court |
| Government post as a civil servant | Not the NIRC; service rules apply |
A grievance is not only about dismissal. Section 33 covers "any right guaranteed or secured" by law, an award or a settlement. Unpaid dues under a law or settlement count too. Dismissal is the most common case.
Step one: send the grievance notice within 90 days
Write to your employer within 90 days of the dismissal, saying what happened and what you want. The employer must reply in writing within 15 days. If a shop steward or union sends it for you, the reply is due in 7 days.
Keep the notice short and factual. Put in your name, post, employee number, date of joining, and the date and wording of the dismissal order. Say why you think it is wrong. Ask for what you want, such as reinstatement with back pay.
- Write the notice and sign it. Address it to the employer's head of human resources or the officer who signed the dismissal.
- Send it by registered post or courier with acknowledgment, or hand it over and get a signed and stamped receipt.
- Keep the receipt and a copy of the notice. The NIRC will ask for proof of service.
- Note the date. The employer's 15 days start from when the notice reached them.
If you are not sure the dismissal itself broke the rules, read the misconduct and dismissal rules at work in Pakistan first. A missing show cause notice or a missing inquiry can be a strong point in a case.
Step two: file the NIRC grievance petition within 60 days
File the petition within 60 days of the employer's reply, or within 60 days of the end of the 15 day reply period if no reply came. A late petition needs an application for condoning the delay, backed by an affidavit.
The NIRC's website sets out what every petition must contain. We list it in plain words.
- Clear, typed or printed text, in numbered paragraphs, one point each.
- The full name, designation and address of each party. The employer is the respondent.
- The relief you claim, stated clearly.
- A copy of the grievance notice and proof that it was served.
- A copy of the dismissal order, or any other order about your service.
- Copies of the documents you rely on, such as the appointment letter and pay slips.
- Your signature or thumb impression.
- Three copies of the petition, plus one more for each respondent, all signed and with documents attached.
The NIRC lists members and deputy registrars in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. The Registrar's office number on its website is 051-9205306. Workers with the same complaint against the same employer can file one joint petition.
You can file without a lawyer. A lawyer helps with the condonation application and with the hearing. If money is the problem, a free lawyer in Punjab through legal aid is one route, and a union official can also help.
What the NIRC can order, and the appeal
The NIRC looks at all the facts and passes "such orders as may be just and proper". In a dismissal case that can mean reinstatement, back pay or both. An employer who ignores the order faces up to one year in jail, a Rs 75,000 fine, or both.
| Stage | Time limit in the Act |
|---|---|
| Grievance notice to employer | 90 days from the cause |
| Employer's written reply | 15 days, or 7 through a union |
| Petition to the NIRC | 60 days after reply or silence |
| NIRC decision | 7 days, as the Act sets it |
| Employer to comply | 7 days, or as the order says |
| Appeal to the Full Bench | 30 days from the decision |
The Act sets seven days for a decision. Expect more than one hearing anyway, and keep checking your case on the NIRC's case status page. Either side can appeal a single bench decision to the NIRC's Full Bench within 30 days under section 58.
If the order is not followed, the worker can file a written complaint so the employer is prosecuted. The NIRC can also act on its own order.
Workers in a provincial company
If your employer works in one province only, the NIRC is the wrong forum. Use that province's labour court. In Punjab, the grievance route under the 2010 Act also starts with a notice, but the first limit is three months.
Section 33 of the Punjab Industrial Relations Act 2010 gives three months for the notice, 15 days for the reply, and 60 days to reach the Labour Court. Punjab's new Labour Code 2026 was published on 10 February 2026 and repeals that Act once the government notifies its start. We could not find that notification on any Punjab government site, so check at the Labour Court before you file. The rules when a job in Pakistan ends and your gratuity and provident fund apply whichever forum you use.
Common questions
Can I go straight to the NIRC without a notice?
No. The grievance notice and proof of its service must be attached to the petition. Without them the petition fails.
I was dismissed four months ago. Is it too late?
The notice limit is 90 days. A late petition can be filed with an application and affidavit explaining the delay, but the NIRC decides whether to accept it.
Does a bank officer count as a worker?
Only if the job is not mainly managerial or administrative. The NIRC looks at the actual duties, not the job title.
Where are the NIRC benches?
The NIRC lists members and deputy registrars in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. The Registrar's number is 051-9205306.
Can several dismissed workers file together?
Yes. Section 33(8) allows a joint application by workers with a common grievance from a common cause.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 2 October 2026. We read sections 1, 2, 33 and 58 of the Industrial Relations Act 2012 on the Pakistan Code, the filing procedure and officer list on the NIRC website, and section 33 of the Punjab Industrial Relations Act 2010 and section 435 of the Punjab Labour Code 2026 on the Punjab Code. We could not find a filing fee on the NIRC website, so we do not state one. We could not find a notification starting the Punjab Labour Code. This is general information, not legal advice.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
