PEF barred from making recruitments against 52 posts

LHC issues orders to watch over nepotism and over-staffing

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday barred Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) from recruiting 52 district monitoring and evaluation officers on a petition challenging alleged illegal appointments.

Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan issued the order on an application related to an already pending petition against 126 illegal recruitments with the foundation.

Muhammad Qadeer Aslam, a local citizen, moved the petition through Advocate Shoaib Saleem, submitting that the recruitment was being made in violation of the Recruitment Policy, 2004.

He pointed out that in the main petition, he had questioned the appointment of 126 district and monitoring evaluation assistants. He added that during pendency of the petition, the Punjab Education Foundation advertised another 52 posts for the same positions.

The counsel submitted that 126 officers, who were appointed by the foundation, were former military men. He added not a single civilian had either been shortlisted or called for the interview. The foundation blatantly violated Recruitment Policy 2004 by recruiting only ex-servicemen without any merit and justification. The recent ad for 54 posts was a political stunt before the general elections and was clear evidence of favoritism and nepotism, the counsel said. He said that PEF didn’t display any merit list.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2018.