Commission told to hire rejected Arabic teachers

Merit policy violated, LHC ordered Punjab Public Service Commission to hire three petitioners.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has ordered the Punjab Public Service Commission to hire three petitioners that it had earlier rejected for jobs as Arabic teachers.

Justice Tariq Javed of the LHC, in a short order, allowed the writ petition of Muhammad Yousaf, Ziaur Rehman and Ghulam Muhyudin Hafiz.

The petitioners through Advocate Tipu Salman Makhdoom submitted that they were the top three candidates on merit according to the criteria set by the PPSC. The commission invited applications for the posts of male subject specialist in Arabic (BS-17) on August 30, 2009. The advertisement for the post said applicants must have a masters degree in Arabic and a bachelors degree in education. It also said that if a large number of applications were received, the candidates would be selected on the basis of their academic record and written test.

Makhdoom said 689 candidates were selected for the written test and the petitioners were the most qualified of them. The petitioners were also declared the top three of 80 candidates who passed the written test held on April 4, 2010, he said.

He said the petitioners had strong academic records. Yousaf was a topper in his first semester studying MPhil Arabic, a gold medallist in MA Arabic from Punjab University, silver medallist in FA (Multan Board) and got an A+ grade in matric. Rehman finished third in MA Arabic in PU, fourth in BA (PU), and got an A+ grade in matric. Hafiz was a gold medallist in MA Arabic in Islamia University, finished in the 1st Division in BA, FA and matric, and had experience as an elementary school teacher (BA-14).

The counsel said after passing the written test, his clients were called for an interview on April 22, when the PPSC declared 16 other candidates eligible for the posts and rejected the petitioners.

Makhdoom said the PPSC, in rejecting the petitioners and selecting the ineligible candidates for the posts, had acted illegally, unconstitutionally and unreasonably, and violated government policy. He alleged the PPSC authorities had rejected the petitioners so they could accommodate personal favourites at the posts. He asked the court to declare the PPSC’s appointments illegal and unlawful.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2010.