Teachers’ suspension: Govt officials served contempt notices

Petitioners appealed to the court to reverse the education department’s decision.

RAWALPINDI:

A high court judge on Monday issued contempt notices to government officials and summoned them while hearing a petition challenging dismissal of school teachers in Rawalpindi.

Justice Mamoon Rasheed Sheikh of the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench issued notices to the Punjab Education Secretary Muhammad Aslam, Health Director General Dr Nisar, Rawalpindi EDO (Education) Qazi Zahoorul Haq, EDO (Health) Zafar Gondal, DCO Saqib Zafar and Education Deputy Director Zulfiqar Ali Raja and summoned them on November 12.

The Rawalpindi education department had recently dismissed over 100 school teachers, besides demoting and transferring others to far-flung areas. The teachers had refused to take part in an anti-polio campaign in the district.

The petitioners – Punjab Teachers’ Union President Ausaf Ahmed Satti and others – maintained that they had avoided the campaign after getting due permission from the court.

They said they had moved the court earlier to seek exemption from performing vaccination, as they were busy with their duties at schools. The court had granted a stay order to them.

They appealed to the court to reverse the education department’s decision.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2012.