The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed former Higher Education Commission (HEC) chairman Dr Javed Laghari to appear before the court and explain the failure to implement a court order to regularise an HEC staffer. Laghari was the HEC chief when the original order was issued.
HEC Academics Director Muhammad Anees Sadozai had filed the contempt petition against the former chief.
The order, issued by Justice Noorul Haq N Qureshi, asked the HEC chairman to appear before the court on July 15 and explain his position on the issue.
In the previous hearing on June 27, incumbent HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmad told IHC and assured that the reinstatement of two terminated HEC employees would be done in accordance with the law, but the petitioner claimed the issue remains unresolved.
Sadozai had filed a contempt of court petition before the IHC while contending that the HEC has not implemented court orders regarding regularisation of his services while also stating that his salary has been withheld for the past three months.
The petitioner’s counsel told the court that in March, an IHC bench had directed the respondents to regularise the petitioner’s services, but the order was not implemented.
Later the court dismissed an intra court appeal filed by the HEC against the decision.
Petitioner’s counsel further told the court that under ex-chairman Leghari, the HEC had submitted an undertaking before the court for regularising the services of the petitioner.
Instead, the HEC terminated the services of the petitioners on March 17, 2014, the lawyer said.
The counsel added that his client is not being allowed to enter his office and his phones were also disconnected.
The petitioner prayed to the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the official for non-compliance with the court order.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 11th, 2014.
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