Edu Dept buried under inquiry backlog

Nearly 3,000 inquiries of various kinds within the Punjab Education Department remained pending in 2025, with the legal validity and prescribed time limits of approximately 2,000 of these inquiries having already expired.

Across different districts of the province, close to 3,000 education-related inquiries have been left unresolved. These include probe and regular inquiries, as well as formal, internal, administrative, human resource, and forensic inquiries.

Owing to personal interests, political interference, undue influence, involvement of irrelevant institutions, and unlawful practices, these inquiries — particularly in Rawalpindi and several other districts of Punjab — have exceeded their legal timeframes and have consequently become ineffective.

According to a Supreme Court ruling, if an inquiry against a government employee continues for three months and the employee remains suspended during this period, but the competent authority fails to formally extend the inquiry by issuing fresh orders, both the inquiry and the suspension automatically lapse and stand terminated under the rules.

Under existing regulations, a probe inquiry must be completed within 30 days, while a regular inquiry has a legally mandated duration of 60 days. In certain circumstances, and in line with legal requirements, an inquiry officer may seek an extension of the inquiry period.

However, within the Education Department, investigations are frequently obstructed through political interference, personal interests, bribery, unlawful conduct, and the misuse of influence. As a result, inquiries are either deliberately delayed or suppressed to render them ineffective — a practice that has affected nearly 3,000 cases.

The Punjab government has recently decided that inquiries in all departments, including the Education Department, must be completed within 90 days, with the competent authorities held accountable. This decision is widely regarded as a positive and encouraging step, provided that its implementation is strictly ensured.

Education leaders Amjad, Basharat Iqbal Raja, and Shafiq Bhalowalia are of the view that the Secretary of Education should issue strict instructions from the start of the new year to ensure that every inquiry is completed within the prescribed timeframe. They further demanded that action be taken against any officer or committee that fails to conclude inquiries in a timely manner.