PESHAWAR, March 3: The certificate holders of the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) belonging to Bannu, who had appeared in interviews for the Primary Teacher Course (PTC) teacher posts in 1999 , have appealed to the education authorities to give them preference in fresh appointments.

They said that recently the education department has dispatched the case of appointment of PTC male teachers for approval to DCO Bannu. Similarly, their cases should also be considered for appointment.

They recalled that a group of candidates who appeared for the interviews against the PTC teachers' posts were denied appointment in 1999 on the ground that they had completed their course from AIOU. The government at that time did not recognise their certificates.

The government, at that time issued instruction that those qualified from the elementary colleges would be given preference. The Peshawar High Court had passed a verdict in Nov 3, 2004 which stated that the 25 per cent seats would be allocated for those candidates who were denied appointment in 1999.

The candidates appealed to the DCO Bannu and EDO (Schools and Literacy) to implement the verdict of the Peshawar High Court. They appealed to the authorities that the provincial government now recognises the certificates of the AIOU and elementary colleges as equal therefore who were deprived appointment merely because they had PTC certificates from AIOU should be given preference during the new appointments.