PHC issues stay in BISE appointments case

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has issued a stay order in a case related to appointments at the Board of Intermediate and Secretary Education (BISE), Peshawar till the next order of the court.

A division bench of Peshawar High Court (PHC) comprising Justice Muhammad Ghazanfar Khan and Justice Muhammad Ayub issued the stay order and stopped the BISE Peshawar from appointment of junior clerks and computer operators till February 6.

The bench issued the stay order in writ petitions filed by the terminated employees of the board including Sirajuddin and Saeedullah. Muhammad Imran and Asif Yousafzai filed the petitions. The petitioners sought regularisation against the posts instead of advertising them.

The bench issued notice to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister as controlling authority of the BISE Peshawar to submit comments in a writ petition filed against the chief minister for withdrawing his own decision about regularisation of employees of the board.

The court sought comments from other officials’ respondents. They included chief secretary, secretary, Elementary and Secondary Education, chairman and secretary BISE Peshawar, directing them to submit reply in the case.

The petitioners claimed that they were initially appointed as junior clerks in BPS-7 in BISE, Peshawar on June 4, 2011 for six months. They said that their job was later extended till June 4, 2013.

They said that the board authorities in 2013 converted their job into fixed pay of Rs15,000 per month. The petitioners stated that they then appealed to high court for restoration of their early position and regularisation of his job in the board.

The high court referred the petitioners’ case to the controlling authority (chief minister) for their regularisation or adjustment as 10 temporary employees were regularised in the past. After the high court decision issued on March 30, 2016, it said the petitioners were terminated from the job.

However, it said that BISE, Peshawar chairman on April 29, 2016 submitted the petitioners’ case before secretary Elementary and Secondary Education for onward submission to the chief minister in the light of the high court decision.

The petitioners stated that the chief minister as controlling authority of the board approved their regularisation on November 10, 2016 as junior clerks.