March 13, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 4, 1429

SUKKUR, March 12: The Sukkur circuit bench of the Sindh High Court has ordered the chief secretary of Sindh to provide much-needed teaching staff in the Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College and report the court within 15 days.

A division bench comprising Justice Dr. Rana Mohammad Shamim and Justice Farrukh Zia issued the orders on Tuesday on an application filed by a journalist, Lala Asad Pathan, through his lawyer Ghulam Shabbir Shar.

The petition stated that future of 500 students of the college was at stake as the college, which was established in 2003 had still not been able to get recognition from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council due to acute shortage of teaching staff including, professors, assistant professors and associate professors.

Sources in the college confirmed on condition of anonymity that the institution faced 60 per cent shortage of teaching and other staff. According to them the college had just two professors as against a requirement for 22, while out of 36, 18 assistant professors were on roll and five associate professors were working as against 22 vacant posts.

The court ordered the chief secretary to provide required teaching staff in the college within 15 days and report to the court on the next date of hearing on March 26.

NOTICES: The Sukkur bench of the Sindh High Court ordered issuance of show-cause notice to the Inspector General of Sindh Prisons over allegations of giving jobs in jail police on political grounds.

The division bench comprising Justice Dr. Rana Mohammad Shamim and Justice Farrukh Zia issued the orders on Tuesday on a petition filed by one Farooq Umer through his lawyer Sarfaraz Akhund.

The petitioner stated that he and 60 others passed interviews for jobs in jail police in 2005 and got appointment orders. One and a half month after his appointment jail authorities issued him a letter staying his appointment on the plea that there was ban on fresh appointments.

He filed a petition in the court on Oct 12, 2006 and on Nov 21, 2007 the IG

Sindh Prisons submitted his comments saying that he and others would be provided job as and when the ban was lifted.

But in contravention to court’s order, jail authorities made new appointments in December 2007 prompting him and his lawyer to move a contempt application against jail authorities.

The court adjourned the hearing to March 27.

CONTEMPT NOTICE: The Sukkur circuit bench of the Sindh High Court on Wednesday issued contempt of court notice to the provincial secretary of education for failing to appear in court on Feb 27.

The bench comprising Justice Dr. Rana Mohammad Shamim and Justice Farrukh Zia passed the order on a petition filed by Muneer Ahmed, Aijaz Ali and 21 others, who said the education department had issued them offer letters for PST/HST job on Oct 7, 2006, but denied them appointment letters despite court orders issued on March 4, 2007.

The bench further ordered the education department to issue the petitioners appointment orders and also reimburse their salaries from the date of their appointment on July 10, 2006.

The court had earlier ordered the provincial secretary of education in the last hearing on Feb 27, 2008 to appear in person but as he failed to appear, hence contempt notice against him.