ISLAMABAD  - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday suspended the transfer notification of Dr Shahnaz Riaz, director general of Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), who was transferred on February 13 this year.
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Noor-ul-Haq N Qureshi accepted the petition of Dr Shahnaz Riaz for hearing and suspended her transfer notification issued by capital administration and development division (CADD).  In this matter, the court also sought reply from secretary establishment and secretary CADD till the next date, which will be fixed by register officer of IHC.
Earlier, the CADD had directed Riaz to report the division after she was found guilty of misusing her power and committing irregularities in funds for evening shifts in schools under her watch.
During the hearing of her petition, Shakeel Abbasi Advocate, counsel for the petitioner, challenged the transfer orders and contended that CADD was not the competent authority to transfer or remove his client. He informed the court that CADD issued the transfer orders on February 13, 2014 on the basis of inquiry order which was illegal. He argued that the prime minister was the competent authority to transfer her.
Therefore, he requested the court to suspend the transfer order and accept the petition.
It is pertinent to mention here that Dr Shahnaz was appointed as FDE chief by the Supreme Court (SC) in 2010 but after 10 days in office she was transferred to the Academy of Education Planning and Management. A three-member bench headed by former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had repatriated her to her parent department by restoring her as DG FDE in May 2012.