PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has issued an interim order restraining authorities from issuing final appointment orders in a recruitment dispute involving contract employees seeking regularisation of their services and challenging the re-advertisement of their posts.
The court has allowed the recruitment process to continue but directed that no final appointment orders be issued until further orders.
The interim relief was granted during the hearing of a writ petition filed by the affected employees. Advocate Mian Muhammad Imran represented the petitioners, while Assistant Attorney General Faseehullah appeared on behalf of the federal government.
During the hearing, the petitioners’ counsel argued that the employees had initially been appointed on a contractual basis and that their contracts had subsequently been extended from time to time.
He informed the court that, in view of their experience and performance, a selection committee had also been constituted to consider their cases for regularisation. However, despite these steps, the authorities had issued a fresh advertisement for recruitment against the same posts, the counsel argued.
The lawyer further informed the court that employees in a similar case before the Lahore High Court had already received interim relief, and the respondents had been asked to submit their replies.
After hearing the arguments, the PHC directed all parties to submit their para-wise comments within two weeks.
Granting interim relief, the court ordered that the recruitment process could proceed, but no final appointment orders would be issued until the next judicial order.
The case concerns the petitioners’ demand for regularisation and their challenge to the decision to re-advertise the positions they currently or previously held.
