LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday stayed likely termination of four lecturers of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) and sought replies from its vice chancellor and syndicate.

Ayesha Mushtaq, Anam Asghar, Bushra Umar and Ali Hassan filed a joint petition against possible termination of their services by the university authorities after their contracts expired in a few months. The petitioners were appointed on contract between 2013 and 2016 and the authority kept extending their contracts on criteria based on performance.

On behalf of the petitioners, Advocate Safdar Shaheen Pirzada argued before the court that it was an established law that ad hoc employees were supposed to continue working till the appointment of regular incumbent from recommendations of federal or provincial public service commissions.

Seeks replies from VC and Sydicate

However, he pointed that in the case of the petitioners the appointing authority was syndicate of the university being an autonomous body and seats were lying vacant.

The syndicate was duty bound to address grievance of the petitioners and regularise their services keeping in view their satisfactory performance, he contended.

However, he said blatant violation of laws and fundamental rights had been committed by the respondents by deciding not to extend contracts of the petitioners.

He urged the court to restrain the respondents from terminating the petitioners and order them to regularise their services in the interest of justice and fair play.

After the hearing, Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh stayed the likely termination of the petitioners and sought replies from the respondents by Sept 24.

Previously, the court had also stayed possible termination of seven research assistants at the UAF.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2019