PHC stays deportation of Pak-Turk schools staff

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday stayed deportation of Turkish staff members at the Pak-Turk international schools and colleges in Pakistan and their families till December 1 when the next hearing will be held.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Ikramullah Khan also restrained the federal government from taking any adverse action against the Turkish staff members of the educational institutions till next order of the court. It sought reply in the case before the next hearing.

The bench issued directions in a writ petition filed by lawyer Shah Muhammad whose children are getting education at the Pak-Turk International School and College, Hayatabad, and a Turkish teacher in the school.

The petitioners’ lawyer, Qazi Muhammad Anwar, submitted before the bench that Pak-Turk School and College is affiliated with Cambridge University, which has been conducting A and O level examinations here.

Qazi Anwar informed the bench that the Ministry of Interior on the recommendation of Foreign Ministry didn’t extend visa to the Turkish staff members, including teachers and their families staying in Pakistan. He said they were directed to leave Pakistan before November 14.

He submitted that more than 11,000 students were getting education in 28 campuses of the Pak-Turk International schools and colleges in different cities of Pakistan. The petitioner said the government had also issued exit pass on November 14 to the Turkish staff members of the schools for leaving the country.

He argued it was a political decision of the federal government due to which the future of over 11,000 students was at stake. He said the government even didn’t wait till March 2017 while expelling the Turkish staff members of these institutions to allow the completion of the academic year.

On the other hand, deputy attorney generals, Musarratullah Khan and Kifayatullah, submitted that the federal government had already issued exit pass to the Turkish staff members of the Pak-Turk schools and colleges. They informed the bench that after issuance of the exit passes the stay of the Turkish teachers and their families was illegal in Pakistan.

The Board of Directors of the Pak-Turk International Schools and Colleges have also issued a public announcement on the official website, “Pak-Turk International Schools and Colleges are deeply concerned over the abrupt decision of the government requiring the Turkish teachers, management and their family members numbering approximately 450 individuals, including the school-going children, infants and ladies to leave the country - an extraordinary time constraint - in consequence of non-approval of their requests for extension of visa.”

It is pertinent to mention here that in July this year, Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Sadik Babur Girgin at a media briefing on the developments in Turkey after the failed coup attempt to topple the government had said that Turkey “called on all friendly countries to prevent activities of this (Gulen’s) group” and “close down institutions run by Fethullah Gülen.”

Fethullah Gülen, a US-based religious leader was accused of masterminding the recent coup attempt in Turkey.In a later development in August, the management of Pak-Turk International Schools and Colleges replaced the Turkish nationals serving on administrative posts in its schools and colleges with locals, but continued engaging them on teaching assignments.

A chain of 28 schools and colleges is functioning under the Pak-Turk Education Foundation International Schools and Colleges in Pakistan in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Multan, Karachi, Hyderabad, Khairpur, Jamshoro and Quetta.The education system, from pre-school to A and O levels, has a student body of more than 11,000 while there are 1,500 staff members of which around 110 are Turkish.