PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench on Wednesday stayed the expulsion of Turkish teachers of Pak-Turk School and College, Peshawar, and sought explanation from the interior ministry about the controversy surrounding directives issued to Turkish teachers to leave the country in three days.

Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Ikramullah Khan fixed Dec 1 for next hearing into a petition jointly filed by parents of students and Turkish teachers of the Pak-Turk School after directing the federal government not to take any adverse action against teachers and their families until then.

Among petitioners are 68 parents, including lawyer Shah Mohammad Khan, and 10 Turkish teachers.

Qazi Mohammad Anwer, lawyer for the petitioners, said children of 68 of his clients were regular students of Pak-Turk School and College, Hayatabad, whereas rests of the 10 petitioners were Turk teachers performing services in the education sector in Pakistan since last many years.

PHC seeks ministry’s explanation on orders for Pak-Turk School tutors to return

He said the Pak-Turk Educational Foundation, which managed the Pak-Turk schools in the country, had submitted an application to the interior ministry for visa extension for staff members and their family members, who had been serving in 26 branches across the country.

Mr. Anwer said the foundation had been informed that their request for visa extension would be considered at appropriate level but it had not been acceded through a letter issued on Nov 11, 2016.

He added that soon after another letter was received by the foundation from the interior ministry on Nov 14 whereby all Turkish nationals whose visa extension was regretted were directed to leave the country within three days before Nov 20.

The lawyer said the decision on not to extend visas of Turkish teachers at this juncture in an abrupt manner would be of devastating consequences to over more than 11,000 students enrolled in 26 schools across Pakistan, including children of the petitioners.

He said the students were in middle of their education session which would continue until March 2017.

The petitioners have requested the court to set aside the impugned letters issued on Nov 11 and Nov 14, declaring them illegal, unlawful and in consideration of extraneous and irrelevant factors and without application of judicious mind. They also sought orders for the interior secretary to allow the foreign Pak-Turk teachers to continue with their current duties by extending their visas until the end of the ongoing academic session or long summer vacation accordingly and let students continue their studies.

Deputy attorney general Kifayat Khan said the non-extension in visas of Turkish teachers was a state-to-state policy made in line with a course of action made by the federal government.

He added that when their visas had not been extended, stay in the country would be illegal.

The bench wondered how visas of the teachers serving in the country for many years could be cancelled.

Following a failed coup attempt in Turkey in July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has begun international campaign against the interests of his rival, Fatehullah Gulen, and his movement.

In a visit to Pakistan in Aug, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had referred to the Gulen movement saying, “it is not a secret that this organisation has institutions and have their presence in Pakistan and in many other countries.”

Despite the denial of the administration of these schools regarding their affiliation with Gulen movement, the controversial letter regarding expulsion of Turkish teachers was issued before the recent visit of the Turkish president to Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2016