The Sindh High Court (SHC) has suspended the dismissal of Iman Gulzar, a State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) employee fired due to a rare congenital heart condition called dextrocardia.
Dextrocardia is a condition in which the heart is positioned on the right side of the chest, rather than the standard left-side placement found in most individuals.
Gulzar approached the Sindh High Court after the central bank terminated her employment following medical examinations that identified the congenital condition in her chest.
Her legal counsel argued before the court that the bank had used the medical finding as the sole basis for ending her employment, without any additional justification provided.
A constitutional bench comprising Justice Muhammad Saleem Jessar and Justice Nisar Ahmed Bhanbhro heard the petition and subsequently suspended the termination order against her.
The court directed the State Bank of Pakistan to immediately enrol the petitioner in training and issued formal notices to the SBP governor and other relevant senior officials.
The bench observed that no individual could be declared medically ineligible for employment without proper justification beyond the presence of a congenital anatomical condition.
The court further noted that the positioning of the heart on the right side is a congenital condition and may be entirely normal, requiring no adverse employment consequences whatsoever.
The Sindh High Court adjourned further proceedings in the case and scheduled the next hearing for August 2026, when the matter will be taken up again.
