Challenged in court: SHC stays action against education director

The CM had issued a show-cause notice to the official over alleged irregularities

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has restrained the provincial government from passing any final order in pursuance of the show-cause notice issued by the provincial chief minister to the district officer for girls’ secondary and higher secondary education in connection with alleged irregularities in the education department.

This direction came on a petition filed by DEO Syeda Nelofar Ali, who had approached the court against the issuance of the show-cause notice issued by the Sindh chief minister on November 1.

The petitioner’s lawyer, Abdul Jabbar Korai, said that the court had earlier suspended the notification against the petitioner with direction to the relevant authority that ‘no coercive action shall be taken against her.’



He told the two judges that the deputy secretary (school-I) of the education department had recently informed that the chief minister about irregularities and misconduct in education affairs. Subsequently, the chief minister had issued a show-cause notice to the petitioner.

The petitioner intends to submit a reply to the show-cause notice, but apprehends that action will be initiated against her, he added.

The bench issued notices to the chief secretary, services secretary and others, directing the competent authority to continue the proceedings against the petitioner strictly in accordance with the law.

“However, no final order may be passed pursuant to proceedings initiated on the basis of the show-cause notice without permission of the court till next date of hearing,” the bench ordered while adjourning hearing till December 9.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2014.