PESHAWAR, March 14: A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court on Thursday reserved judgment on 106 identical writ petitions filed by physical education teachers who had challenged a change in their service structure ordered by the provincial government.

The bench comprised Justice Nasirul Mulk and Justice Ijazul Hassan. Appearing for petitioners, advocate Jawed A. Khan argued that petitioners were allowed pay scale 15 by the government, but after a gap of 11 years the government revoked its decision and reversed their pay scale to 9.

The petitioners stated that physical education teachers used to be in pay scale 9 till 1983 when the government revised the service structure and gave them pay scale 15. Till 1994, they stated, physical education teachers were given the same scale, but later the government revised its decision.

The government claimed that pay scale 15 had been given to physical education teachers on a temporary basis and that it was not a permanent decision.

Mr Jawed asked how could the government withdraw the pay scale after giving it to physical education teachers for 11 years.

In Sindh, he contended, scale 17 had been given to physical education teachers whereas the federal government has given pay scale 16 to its physical education teachers. He said it would be discrimination against physical education teachers of the NWFP if the provincial government continued with its policy. He argued that even it was believed that scale 15 had been given on a temporary basis, it could not be withdrawn after remaining in the field for 11 years.