Court issues contempt notice to accounts officer for delay in salary

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has issued a contempt of court notice to the district accounts officer of Nowshera for not releasing the salary of a female schoolteacher.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Khurshid Iqbal heard the contempt of court petition filed by Maha Khilji, a PET teacher.During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel Asif Khan Advocate informed the court that his client was appointed to the post of PET in Nowshera. However, later she was removed on the grounds that she was appointed against an additional position beyond the sanctioned strength. Subsequently, the Education Department ordered an inquiry, which revealed that her appointment was indeed against an approved position, and she was reinstated.

He further informed the court that despite fulfilling all formalities, the Education Department had sent her salary release case to the district accounts officer, but the officer did not issue the salary.

Consequently, a writ petition was filed in the Peshawar High Court, which in March 2024, directed the Nowshera district accounts officer to immediately release the salary of the petitioner.

However, despite the court’s order, the female teacher has not yet received her salary, causing her hardships. The petitioner requested that contempt of court proceedings be initiated against the district accounts officer for failing to comply with the court’s order.

During the proceedings, the representative of the Nowshera Education Department informed the court that all relevant documents of the petitioner had been sent to the District Accounts Office, but the salary was still not being released. Upon this, the bench issued a contempt of court notice to the district accounts officer and sought a response from him.