PESHAWAR: A physically challenged sportsman on Saturday moved the Peshawar High Court, requesting that his service at Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), which he had left after availing of the Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS), may be restored as he had no other means of livelihood.

Ihsan Danish, who has participated in several national paralympic games and international events and won medals, filed a writ petition in the high court, praying to declare as illegal the VSS got signed from him by the administration. He requested the court to direct the PTCL authorities to allow the petitioner to work in the company.

The wheelchair-bound petitioner came to the high court wearing his green sports blazer and medals. The respondents in the petition include Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government through its chief secretary, director general of KP sports and youth affairs, Pakistan Sports Board through its president and PTCL.

The petition filed through advocate Mian Muhibullah Kakakhel states that the petitioner was a gold medalist in table tennis and other sports. The petitioner stated that he was appointed in PTCL in 1996 on daily wage basis and was regularised on Nov 16, 1998.

The petitioner claimed that he was transferred to customer services where complainants would often argue and use harsh words due to which he faced some health issues.

He claimed that he had requested his seniors to transfer him to another branch so as to avoid direct contact with customers, but to no avail.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2018