SHC directs to appoint chairman Sindh Textbook Board within 15 days

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed additional secretary services and secretary school education to appoint chairman Sindh Textbook Board within 15 days warning of stern action against them in case of non-compliance.

The direction came on a contempt of court application filed by Mohammad Yaqoob Chandio against chief secretary, secretary school education for non-compliance with the court order about the appointment of chairman and members of the Sindh Textbook Board (STBB).

The applicant’s counsel Syed Haider Imam Rizvi submitted that the SHC on March 20, 2018 had directed chief secretary and secretary school education to appoint the chairman and members of the STBB within 30 days but despite the lapse of more than one year the alleged contemnors have miserably failed to comply with the orders.

The Secretary School Education, Khalid Hyder Shah, filed an explanation on non-compliance. The SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Nadeem Akhtar observed that the alleged contemnors have not complied with the court directives in letter and spirit.

The secretary school education and additional secretary services undertook before the court that order shall have complied with in letter and spirit and chairman STBB will be appointed within 15 days.

The court directed them to place on record the notification with regard to the appointment of the Chairman STBB and clarified that in case of non-compliance stern action shall be taken not only against them but also against chief secretary to whom the direction was also issued on March 20, 2018 order. The court directed the chief secretary to file a compliance report on March 19.