A division bench at Sindh High Court Hyderabad circuit on Tuesday restrained federal government from taking punitive action against nine staff members of Pak-Turk schools in Hyderabad and Jamshoro districts.

Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Mohammad Iqbal Mahar issued the order, saying action against the Turkish staff members cannot be taken until December 20.

Advocate Ayatullah Khowaja had filed a constitutional petition on behalf of Dr M Jawed Khilji, Ayaz Hussain Kalhoro, Ender Tergip, Erdogan Hozan, Abdurrahman Guner, Abdussamed Dursun, Yavuz Ilbay, Ertugrul Dumur, Omer Baktir, Ali Yilmaz and Ercan Acar.

Khowaja contended in his petition that Peshawar High Court had set precedent where it granted interim relief to petitioners in the same case, under which no punitive action was taken against them.

He said his clients are seeking similar relief.

The petitioners said that their children are studying in schools run by Pak-Turk International Education Foundation in Jamshoro and Hyderabad districts

The petitioners urged the court to declare the said notification of federal interior ministry as illegal, and that authorities should be directed to allow teaching staff to continue their services by extending their visas till the academic session is completed.

The court then issued notices to the federal interior ministry and deputy attorney general, restraining them from taking punitive action against all Turk nationals and forcing them to leave Pakistan.