Legal process: Aitchison teachers’ petitions dismissed

Principal asked to reconsider two students’ expulsion cases.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court on Monday dismissed a petition of 10 former teachers of Aitchison College (seven female and three male) and imposed a fine of Rs1,000 each for concealing facts from the court. The petitioners alleged that the college administration had illegally terminated their services.

The teachers said they had been hired on contract, and between June and July 2013 the principal of the college told them that their services were not required anymore, without issuing any notice. They asked the court to issue directions to the college to release their full salaries and an allowance from the date of their termination.

The counsel for the college, Advocate Ali Sibtain Fazli and Advocate Hasham Ahmed Khan said the petitioners had concealed facts from the court. They said six of the petitioners’ contracts had expired and had not been renewed by the college administration. They said the rest had recovered and accepted their termination letters and entered into a final settlement with the administration. They added that the college administration had the right to refuse to renew the contract.

The court ordered petitioners to pay Rs5,000 each but later reduced the amount to Rs1,000. They were directed to pay the amount to the college within 14 days.



Expulsion cases

In another case, the LHC dismissed the petition of a student and referred the case of two students to the Aitchison College principal.

The court dismissed the petition of a child who said he was 10 years old, and had been admitted to Aitchison on August 23, 2010. He said he was presently in K5 in Liaqat House. He said he had been expelled from the college after getting grade D in his overall assessment and the final examination of 2013. His counsel said he was a well behaved and capable child but had been careless and needed frequent reminders to remain attentive during lessons. He asked the court to direct the college to allow him to resume studies at the college. The judge said that as the child had not improved his performance, his petition could not be maintained.

Another petitioner who said he was seven-years-old was admitted to class K2 in Goldstein House on September 03, 2012. He said he had received grade D in his annual assessment and was expelled from the college. The third petitioner said he was nine-years-old and was admitted to class K2 in Sir Syed House on September 9, 2011. He was promoted to K3 grade after assessment. He said he had fallen ill during the final examination and received grade D. He said the college administration had decided to expel him from the college.

The counsel for both children said they had improved their performance over time. They said the fact could be verified from the college record. The judge ordered the college principal to reconsider their cases purely on compassionate grounds.

LHC restrains government from displacing land owners

A division bench of the Lahore High Court restrained the Punjab Government on Monday from displacing people from lands being acquired for establishing a Garment City on Sheikhupura Road. The bench headed by Justice Muhammad Khalid Mahmood Khan passed the order on identical petitions against the Garment City.

The petitioners said the government was planning to build the garment city on agricultural land, instead of promoting agriculture. Their counsel said establishing industry on agriculture land would deprive a number of the petitioners’ livelihood. The counsel said that if the government started such projects in backward areas it would enhance employment opportunities, and some agricultural land. They requested the court to stop the provincial government from creating a garment city in Sheikhupura.

After hearing the initial arguments, the court directed the provincial government not to displace owners of properties being acquired till the next hearing. The bench also directed the provincial government to reply to the petition by February 3.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2014.