Teachers’ appointment: Apex court orders inquiry

SC ordered an inquiry into the appointment of 78 elementary school teachers (EST) made in 1993 in Kasur.

LAHORE: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into the appointment of 78 elementary school teachers (EST) made in 1993 in Kasur. The court issued the order when it was informed that 28 appointments had been made by violating merit and the rules of the Education Department.  A two-member bench headed by Justice Tasadduq Jilani was hearing a petition filed by Moeenuddin, whose name had been dropped from the merit list. The petitioner’s lawyer Muhammad Farooq Chishti submitted that the department had advertised 78 EST posts in 1993. He said Chishti’s name had been the 66th one on the final merit list as he had passed both the written examination and the interview. The petitioner alleged that Education Department officials recruited 28 of their favourite candidates whose names were not on the merit list and 13 who were below his merit were also recruited. He requested that the department be directed to include his name in the final merit list and that he be allowed to take charge as an EST. Punjab Schools Education Secretary Muhammad Aslam Kamboh admitted that there were reports that some appointments were made against merit. He said he had already ordered an inquiry into the appointment of the 28 teachers. He undertook that a fair inquiry regarding the recruitments would be completed within 30 days. He also informed the bench that even if the ‘illegal’ appointees were removed the petitioner could not be appointed an EST as he was too low on the merit list. The court, however, directed the secretary to consider the petitioner and also submit the report after the inquiry was completed.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2012.