Non-regularisation: Malakand varsity directed to respond to petition

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday directed the administration of the University of Malakand to respond to a petition filed against the non-regularization of lecturers recruited on contractual basis in 2018.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Ejaz Anwar and Justice Khurshid Iqbal heard the petition.

The petitioners, including Maqsood-ur-Rahman and others, were represented by Khalid-ur-Rahman Advocate. The registrar of the University of Malakand also appeared in the court.

Khalid-ur-Rahman Advocate appearing for the petitioners told the bench that his clients were recruited as lecturers on contractual basis in the University of Malakand in 2018 after clearing the test and interview.

He said the lecturers had been assured of regularization and they had filed a petition in the PHC Mingora circuit bench in 2021 to be regularized. The lawyer said the circuit bench had forwarded the petition to the selection board of the university.

However, the matter had been pending before the selection board for the last three years, he added. The lawyer said now the university had advertised new posts of lecturers. The petitioners requested the court to stop the university from making the fresh recruitment of lecturers and order its administration to regularize them.

The registrar of the university told the bench the fresh appointments were not being made against the positions against which the lecturers were already serving.