SHC stays deportation of Pak-Turk schools’ staffers

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Friday suspended the federal government's order on deportation of Pak-Turk schools staffers till further orders.

Petitioners who were parents, students and teachers of the school had filed a petition before the SHC against the deportation of Turkish teaching staff following a request made by the Turkish government. It is pertinent to mention that the interior ministry ordered the Turkish staff of the educational network to leave Pakistan rejecting their applications for extension in visas.

The petitioners’ counsel, Abdul Hameed Khoso, submitted that the Pak-Turk Foundation was a non-profit non-government organisation which had nothing to do with the politics of Pakistan or Turkey. The petitioners submitted that the deportation order would hurt the interests of 11,000 students of the schools.

He submitted that Turkish teachers had applied for extension in their visas, but the government instead of granting extension, ordered the staff to leave the country. He added that Pak-Turk Schools provide inexpensive but quality education and the decision to deport the teachers would harm the future of the students of schools.

The court after preliminary hearing of the petition issued notices to the federal and provincial law officers for December 13 and in the meantime suspended the deportation order of the federal government till the next date of hearing.