HYDERABAD, Aug 23: A division bench of the Sindh High Court here on Thursday directed the Dadu executive district officer, education, and district officer, elementary education, to appear on Sept 5 and explain why petitioners who had passed written and medical fitness tests for recruitment had not been issued appointment letters.

A bench comprising Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Yasmin Abbasey issued the order on a constitutional petition filed by Maulvi Maqsood Ahmed and 12 others. The petitioners said the Sindh government had announced different posts of teachers in 2004 and around 400,000 application forms were issued through banks. The government earned Rs40 million in the process and the bank also earned millions of rupees, the petitioners claimed.

The petitioners said they were declared successful in the written test held on May 30, 2004. Their interviews were held on March 23, 2005. They informed the court that 16 months later they were directed by through the education and literacy department to receive their offer letters from the Dadu district coordination officer’s office by July 10, 2006, as per a list signed by members of departmental selection committee and approved by the education secretary.

They said that around 2,050 candidates, including the petitioners, were issued offer letters and a civil surgeon conducted their medical examination after obtaining their original letters.

They said the chief minister and education minister had stated that appointment orders of 2,050 teachers would soon be issued. They said a delegation of candidates had approached the chief minister in this regard and he had assured them that the procedure would be completed soon.

On July 1, 2007, the education secretary was directed by the chief minister to submit a report regarding the appointments.

The petitioners said the secretary, on being approach, had told them that the matter was pending before the chief minister as there were some allegations regarding the results.

The petitioners prayed the court to order compliance with the notification dated March 5, 2005. They said the respondents should be directed to take steps regarding their appointment without delay.

ADDMISSION: Principal, Government Degree College and Postgraduate Centre Latifabad, Prof Jamil Ahmed Ansari has extended the date for admission in first year pre-medical, pre-engineering, computer science and arts groups for the academic session 2007-08 from Aug 21 to 28.