Father of teacher who committed suicide seeks justice

LAHORE:Father of a government schoolteacher, who committed suicide by setting himself ablaze in District Education Authority (DEA) Lahore office last month, has appealed to the chief minister to take notice of the alleged injustice meted out to the deceased by the DEA Lahore officials leading to his death.

Talking to The News, Muhammad Ashraf, who is a retired employee of the Pakistan Air Force, said that his son late Hafiz Muhammad Awais, committed suicide allegedly because of indifferent and cruel attitude of the DEA Lahore officials as for the last one year Awais was being dragged from pillar to post to get justice.

Narrating the details, M Ashraf said after completing Chemical Engineering from UET, Lahore his son joined School Education Department (SED) Punjab as Elementary School Educator (ESE-Science/Math) in 2017. However, in February 2020 DEO (Elementary-Male) Lahore censured Hafiz M Awais after an inquiry into alleged charge of “Inflicting corporal punishment to students and unethical behaviour with students” which late Awais strongly denied. He added though censure was a minor punishment but this greatly perturbed Awais who being aggrieved filed appeal before the DEA Lahore CEO Pervaiz Akhtar. The CEO set aside the censure order and directed the DEO (EE-M) to decide the case afresh after de novo inquiry.

Ashraf said after the de novo inquiry his son Awais’ contract was terminated by DEO (EE-M) on December 30, 2020 on the same charges against which he was earlier awarded censure (minor) punishment. He added Awais was greatly upset because of the major punishment this time but he decided to fight once again and filed appealed before the DEA Lahore CEO on January 09, 2021 and added since then it was almost his daily routine to visit DEA office or SED Punjab office to get justice but instead he allegedly faced mental torture from the officials.

He said on the day of the incident on March 02, 2021 Awais was shown his restoration orders but the same were allegedly torn apart by the DEA officials. He said this really upset Awais and he took the extreme step of setting himself ablaze within the DEA building. Awais’ father said that his son succumbed to burn injuries and passed away in the hospital on March 20, 2021 and added after he gathered some strength he approached the Qilla Gujjar Singh Police Station on April 03 and filed an application for registration of FIR against the DEA officials as it was allegedly because of them that his young son committed suicide. Ashraf said that two days later DEO (EE-M) Mian Shafqat Habib also submitted an application for registration of FIR against late Awais’ brother Waqas for allegedly instigating his brother to commit suicide. He questioned as to how Awais’ elder brother could instigate his younger brother to commit suicide and termed it a move to divert attention from the real issue i.e., alleged mental torture which allegedly was the cause behind his son’s suicide.

M Ashraf demanded the Chief Minister Punjab to take notice of, what he termed was, alleged murder of his son and order an impartial inquiry and provide justice to the bereaved family.

When contacted, DEA Lahore CEO Pervaiz Akhtar said being the appellate authority he disagreed with the December 30, 2020 decision of termination of contract by DEO (EE-M) and imposed minor penalty of censure upon late Awais in his decision and the orders were received by Awais on the day of the incident before he committed suicide. He said as per law, decision on appeal could be taken within 60 days and in the instant case the decision was made before the 60 days’ limit.

The CEO while rejecting the allegations that the teacher committed suicide because of the inquiry said that he was not the competent authority and himself felt that major punishment i.e., of termination of contract was not fair therefore while deciding on appeal he disagreed and imposed minor penalty instead.

He added his family moved application against DEA officials allegedly when they were informed that services of late Awais could not be regularised as he had not completed BEd, a mandatory requirement for regularisation of services. He added his office, however, took up the financial assistance case on his family’s demand who claimed Awais died a natural death in the hospital.

DEO (EE-M) Mian Shafqat Habib also alleged that the family pressurised for financial assistance from the government and regularisation of services after the death of Awais and when they realised that it was not possible they moved application for registration of FIR against him and others.

M Ashraf, however, denied the allegations of pressurising the DEA officials for financial assistance saying he lost everything as he lost his son and only wanted justice and to protect his other son who was now also being implicated falsely in the case as the DEO moved application against Waqas for allegedly instigating his brother Awais to commit suicide.