QUETTA - The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Thursday placed a ban on appointment of vacant posts in government colleges till further orders.
A division bench, headed by BHC Chief Justice Qazi Faez Esa, issued the order on a petition filed by Masoom Khan Kakar.
The petitioner assailed the notified policy titled ‘Policy Regarding Filling of the Vacant Lecturer Positions in the Government Colleges Purely on Temporary/Contract Basis’ and advertisement published on February 21. This was contended that the policy was formulated to fill in permanent posts of lecturers, assistant and associate professors on contract basis. The petitioner said that the posts were respectively of Grade 17, 18 and 19, adding that these could only be filled in by the Balochistan Public Service Commission as mandated vide Balochistan Public Service Commission Act, 1974 read with Article 242 of the Constitution.
He said that there was no urgency as the policy revealed that the competent authority had ordered for the formulation of the policy on September 26, 2011, whereas the candidates were sought to be appointed pursuant to the advertisement published after 5 months.
“It is unprecedented that the College Council constituted pursuant to the policy has been called upon to select lecturers, assistant and associate professors and such College Council includes a student representative, which is unprecedented in the world of education,” petitioner said.
He added, “No advertisement has been placed to enable potential candidates to apply and no disclosure has been made about the teaching positions sought to be filled and non-disclosure means that pre-determined favourites will be appointed.”
He stated that the policy would destroy higher education in the province, adding that no law had been cited.
The court issued pre-admission notices to the Secretary Colleges, Advocate General and sought comments. The court also ordered that till the next hearing no lecturers, assistant and associate professors be appointed pursuant to the impugned policy.