Teachers’ promotion: Court stays revised notification

Petitioners say if implemented, they will be deprived of allowances.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday issued stay order against the revised notification regarding timescale formula for teachers of federal government colleges.

Judge Riaz Ahmed Khan sought comments from secretaries of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), Establishment Division, Ministry of Finance, Federal Directorate of Education Director-General and the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR).

Over 80 teachers from FG colleges of Islamabad had challenged the revised notification issued by the finance division on February 24 this year contending that it will not only deprive them of certain allowances but also strip them of the perks they had been getting for the last three years.

The petitioners through their counsel Shoaib Shaheen maintained that on November 8, 2010, former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had approved the timescale formula for promotion of teachers of schools and colleges. The CADD notified it for implementation on October 4, 2011.

They said that after three years, the AGPR raised an objection stating since CADD notification has been revised by the finance division, the beneficial party will have to surrender the amount availed under the timescale formula.

The petitioners said that under the revised notification, the word ‘promotion’ has been replaced with ‘grant’, meaning that the basic pay will only be adjusted after the promotion, while all other allowances and perks will be withdrawn.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that if the benefits already availed by the teachers were withdrawn, they will have to surrender thousands of rupees to the AGPR. He requested the court to suspend the revised notification. The next date of hearing will be fixed by the registrar office later.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2014.