PESHAWAR, May 20: A two-member bench of Peshawar High Court on Tuesday admitted to hearing two writ petitions filed by district Nazims of Lakki Marwat and Karak, challenging transfer of government employees without their approval by the provincial government.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan and Justice Shehzad Akber Khan fixed June 10 for the next hearing.

Lakki Marwat Nazim Humayun Saifullah and Karak Nazim Shareef Khattak stated that the concerned district coordination officers had issued the transfer orders on the directives of the provincial government.

The district education officer and another official of the education department were transferred in Karak whereas about 700 employees of different departments were transferred in Lakki Marwat.

Advocate Qazi Mohammad Anwer appeared for the petitioners and argued that under the NWFP Local Government Ordinance 2001 the provincial government was not empowered to transfer employees of the departments which were under the control of the district government.

He said the ordinance had empowered the district government to transfer an employee and those powers could not be exercised by the DCO on the direction of the provincial government.

Advocate-General Jehanzeb Raheem argued that the orders issued by the DCOs were within the powers given under  the ordinance.