School head’s appointment nullified

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has nullified the appointment of principal of the Government Central Model High School over his ineligibility for the post. LHC’s Justice Shujaat Ali Khan announced the verdict on a petition filed by Muhammad Arshad through his lawyer Advocate Junaid Jabbar Khan on Friday.

The appointment of Mian Abdul Haq was challenged by Dr Arshad, who was one of the contestants. The petitioner’s counsel told the court Haq had been appointed after his retirement but without giving advertisement in the media and without following the rules for the appointment.

He contended the competent authority in the appointment was the board and such an appointment was coram-non judice. He maintained the respondent was initially given an additional charge of the post of principal till the selection of regular candidate but later the government, in clear violation of the rules and regulations, appointed him on contract after his retirement.

He said this was an act of favouritism and nepotism. After hearing the arguments, the court declared the appointment illegal and in violation of the prescribed rules.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2016.