LARKANA, Sept 18: The Larkana circuit bench of Sindh High Court on Tuesday issued contempt notice to provincial secretary education for wilfully flouting the orders of the court passed on February 24 and August 24, 2007 respectively.
The division bench comprising Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Abdul Rehman Farooq issued these orders when a petition filed by one Atta Mohammed Chandio praying for opening of 23 primary and middle schools in union council Mirpur of Qambar-Shahdadkot district came up for hearing on Tuesday.
The petitioner maintained said that non-functioning of the schools was harming education in the area and prayed for their reopening.
The petition initially came up for hearing on February 24, 2006 when the court ordered appointing teachers against 23 vacant seats by observing relevant rules within two months while the secretary education was asked to submit progress report on April 26, 2006. Again the Additional Advocate-General sought four weeks times.
The court ordered that in case of non-compliance, the secretary education should appear with an explanation on May 31 2006.
On the request of the Additional Advocate-General, the court again granted three months time on May 31 for the compliance of its order.
The matter came up in the court on August 31, 2006 and the secretary did not comply with the orders and “the last chance with a warning” was given to the secretary education for compliance. The matter was again fixed for October 12, 2006.
When, on the request of Deputy Secretary Education, three more months were granted for appointment of teaching staff.
When the court took up the matter on March 21, 2007 and August 24, 2007, it noticed that its original orders of February 24, 2006 were not complied with nor had the secretary education appeared. The secretary education was directed to appear on September 18, 2007. When the bench took up the matter today (September 18, 2007, neither the secretary turned up nor the orders complied with. Only the EDO Education Qambar-Shahdadkot, Abdul Qadir Shar, appeared and stated that interviews were called.
The Additional Advocate-General told the bench that despite communicating the orders he had received no response.
The division bench observed that since February 24, 2006, this court had repeatedly issued directives to the secretary education for appointment of teachers for 23 schools but he had not taken effective steps to comply with the orders of this court nor he had appeared.
The court ordered serving of contempt notices upon the secretary education through fax with a directive to the chief secretary to ensure presence of the secretary education with an explanation on September 20.