MULTAN, May 13: The Lahore High Court, Multan Bench, has ordered to reinstate 15 employees of the Dera Ghazi Khan tehsil municipal administration declaring their termination orders, issued by the Punjab local government secretary, as of no legal effect.

The court observed: “The respondents deprived the petitioners of their job while showing no respect to the court orders. Such an act of defiance on the part of respondents cannot be allowed to be encouraged. Their conduct is deplorable.”

The judge said: “I am afraid that there shall be no end to it and the same will further cause a state of chaos and panic, if the respondents are not timely and severely checked with regard to their acts not sustainable on any score, either of law, justice or equity.”

Respondents deserved to be burdened with heavy costs, however, instead of passing such an order they were directed to pay the salaries of the petitioners with effect from November, 2000, and onward along with their adjustment in jobs of their respective cadres, the judgment said.

The order disposed of two petitions. Petitioners included PTC teachers, naib qasids and tubewell operators who were appointed by the Dera municipal committee administrator in February, 1993, on the recommendations of the selection board. Later, the administrator issued orders for their termination on Nov 15, 1993.—APP