Principals of federal govt schools move IHC

Islamabad

Grade 20 principals of the federal government schools have moved Islamabad High Court (IHC) against cancellation of their ‘monetisation policy’ funds.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kyani of the IHC while hearing in the case here Wednesday issued notices to the secretary cabinet division, secretary finance and secretary ministry of defence seeking their reply.

Petitioners, principals of different schools under the federal government through their counsel Haseeb Shakoor Paracha advocate adopted that federal government on December 12, 2011 had introduced a monetisation policy to prevent the foul and misuse of the government vehicles.

This policy was introduced for the officers of grade 20 to 22.Under this policy the officers were paid with an amount of Rs65,960 as travelling expenditure instead of government cars.

Petitioners along with other civil servants had been receiving this amount since January 2012 till January 29, 2016 when a steering committee decided to cancel this amount. It was decided that the monetisation policy will not be implemented on the teachers and they will instead receive Rs5,000 on account of travelling expenses.

The petitioners adopted that government employees including doctors were receiving the amount and this has been a discriminatory act toward the teachers.

IHC bench after hearing the contentions issued notices to the above said respondents and put of hearing.   

Separately, in another matter a petitioner Rizwan Ghafoor Bhatti has moved Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking court’s intervention for provision of food, water, tents and medical facilities to the protesters gathered at D-Chowk Islamabad protesting for the implementation of ‘Nizam-e-Mustafa’.

Petitioner adopted that he is a member of civil society and he went to provide some food and water to the protesters that government authorities did not let go and threatened the petitioner for arrest. Further, whosoever tries to go back from the protest, authorities were arresting them, petitioner said.

the petitioner said that the protesters were peaceful and he personally knows few of them including Sarwat Ejaz Qadri, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, Ashraf Asif Jalali, Muhammad Afzal Qadri, Naveedul Hassan Mashadi, Syed Irfan Shah, Shafique Amini, Hamid Raza, Ziaullah Khan, Qari Khalid, Qari Abdul Majeed and Molana Bashir. IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kyani while hearing in this case remarked that the protesters could not be declared as peaceful at this moment. 

the petitioner said that in the absence of food, water and medicine, the health of protesters is at stake. So the government should allow provision of food to the protesters, petitioner prayed to the court. He further prayed that the government authorities may be stopped from arresting the protesters.

Petitioner has cited ministry of interior, inspector general Islamabad police and capital development authority (CDA) as respondents.  IHC bench issued notices to the respondents and sought reply till April 01.