Teacher to get pension denied over 1976 certificate

Lahore High Court Multan Bench has ordered release of the pensionary benefits of a woman deprived pension by the education department over allegedly submitting a bogus matriculation certificate.

The Khanewal District Education Authority chief executive officer had issued the order on November 13, 2019 that since the matriculation certificate issued to the petitioner Kousar Parveen in 1976 had been found bogus, she could not be extended pensionary benefits.

The petitioner had challenged the order, contending that despite having retired on September 25, 2017, she had been deprived of her pensionary benefits even after the lapse of four years.

In the detailed judgment, Justice MuhammadRaza Qureshi directed the government to ensure in future that cases of retired employees are fast tracked so that they are concluded within the statutory timeframe. This would allow the employees to enjoy their retired life and the government to save unnecessary expenses and time in such cases. The petitioner had passed her matriculation in 1976 and joined the school education department in 1979 as an untrained primary school teacher. During her service, she obtained Primary Teaching Certificate (PTC) and in 1991 passed her intermediate exam. In 2004, she obtained bachelor of arts and retired on September 25, 2017.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that the district education authority’s order was unlawful and the heinous allegation had been confirmed two years after her retirement.

Neither departmental proceedings were ever initiated against the petitioner, nor she was associated with the proceedings at any level, the counsel said.

The law officer opposed the petitioner’s contention.

The judge observed that it was disappointing that the pensionary benefits of the petitioner were withheld without even confronting her with allegations against her as if it was a state bounty that could be awarded as a favour.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2022.