ISLAMABAD, May 13: The Supreme Court on Friday sent a local school principal on Leave Preparatory for Retirement (LPR) for misconduct and holding of two offices. A two-member bench, comprising Chief Justice-designate Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Rana Bhagwandas, also directed Abdul Latif Qureshi, Principal Federal Government Comprehensive School, G-7/2 to immediately relinquish the charge of his office and proceed on LPR (Leave Preparatory for Retirement) as punishment for misconduct and holding the offices of school principal as well as Secretary AJK Housing Society.

The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) had transferred Mr Qureshi to its Administrative Wing on October 22, 2004 for violating the rules that debarred holding of two offices by a government official.

Earlier, he was directed to quit one office but he paid no heed in this regard. Subsequently, he was transferred and a senior most teacher of the same school, Fazle Maula, was made interim principal.

However, Mr Qureshi challenged his transfer orders in the Rawalpindi bench of Lahore High Court (LHC), which asked him to continue as principal provided he had not relinquished the charge, otherwise he should approach the Federal Services Tribunal (FST) for redressal of his grievance.

Mr Qureshi reoccupied the office of the principal with the help of a few supporters and again moved the high court seeking orders against the directorate for a contempt of court.