Appointment of BISE chairmen: PHC seeks reply from CM, secretary

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday sought reply from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister and secretary Elementary and Secondary Education in a writ petition, challenging appointment of seven chairmen of the Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) across the province.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Musarrat Hilali issued notice to Chief Minister KP, as controlling authority of all educational boards of the province and secretary Elementary and Secondary Education, directing them to submit written comments in the petition before the next hearing.
The bench was hearing writ petition filed by Nasir Ali, associate professor Government College No-2 Akhunabad, Peshawar, who had challenged government decision about appointment of seven chairmen by the respondents in Boards of Intermediate and Secretary Education, across the province.
During hearing, counsel for the petitioner, Barrister Amir Khan Chamkani, submitted that the secretary Elementary and Secondary Education regulates eight Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education throughout the province, while the chief minister acts as the controlling authority of the boards.
He argued that in the year 2015, position of chairman BISE in the various boards throughout the province fell vacant but instead of filling these important positions, the incumbent government through secretary Elementary and Secondary Education allowed the previous chairmen to continue working in the respective boards in gross contradiction of the law and rules.
He stated that the respondents initiated the process of appointment for the chairmanship of the various BISE lying vacant in 2016. It was submitted that no advertisement was made for the said posts as nomination of the post were sought directly from the attached departments included Elementary and Secondary Education and Higher Education Department. He said that along with the petitioner 54 candidates of BS-19 and BS-20 applied through proper channel for the posts.
The lawyer said that before the list of candidates to be placed before the controlling authority, secretary Elementary and Education Department formed a Placement Committee headed by the minister Elementary and Secondary Education and comprising other officials and secretary himself as members.
It was prayed that the controlling authority approved the positions of respondents appointed chairmen in Peshawar, Abbottabad, Mardan, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Kohat and Swat completely ignoring the illegal use of discretion by the placement committee and thus the appointments be declared illegal and against the law.