SHC puts moratorium on recruitment of educators

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered a moratorium on further recruitment of teacher across Sindh in response to a petition challenging the recruiting policy of the provincial government.

Education Secretary Akbar Leghari appeared before a two-member bench led by Sindh Chief Justice Ahmad Ali Sheikh. The petitioner's attorney claimed that the people having links in the government get their candidates cleared with 33 passing marks on the basis of hard areas a term used for Union Councils in underdeveloped desert, mountainous and forest areas.

The petitioner said  there should be a single set of laws for the province. If the Primary School Teacher (PST) and Junior School Teacher (JST) from hard were eligible for hiring at 33 per cent marks, the rule should apply to all candidates from across Sindh.

The Sindh chief justice asked education secretary what does the term hard area means and what regions have been designated as hard areas.

Leghari said that underdeveloped and far flung union councils such as Ghora Bari, Thana Bola Khan, Kharo Chaan, and other locations are considered hard areas. The Sindh CJ pointed out that Thana Bola Khan was in Jamshoro district, home to three major universities, how it could be a hard area. He questioned the education secretary whether naming towns and UCs as hard areas was meant to serve political objectives.

SHC top judge halted further processes to hire teachers across Sindh. The court ruled that no candidate should be given an accession order following the court judgment. The court adjourned the hearing till the third week of August.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2023.