Alleged torture case against MPA: PHC orders class-IV employee to perform duty at same school

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday ordered that a class-IV employee serving at a school in Charsadda would continue his duty at the same institution.

The employee, Israj Khan, had claimed that Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Khalid Khan Mohmand belonging to Charsadda district and affiliated with the Qaumi Watan Party had banned his entry into the school for refusing to send his minor sister to his house to work as a maid. He had alleged that he had been severely beaten up.

The PHC ordered the employee to continue his duty and warned of legal action against the lawmaker and other officials if they created hurdles for him.

“Nobody is above the law which will take its course if the lawmaker creates hurdles in duty for the petitioner,” Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan observed while hearing writ petition of the class-IV employee.

The petitioner had alleged that District Education Officer (Female), Charsadda, Sofia Tabassum was supporting the MPA and creating hurdles in his work as Naib Qasid to make him quit his job.

The bench comprising Justice Qaiser Rashid and Justice Mussarat Hilali observed that the replies of the District Education Officer and Additional Advocate General Humayun Khan were not satisfactory.

The court told the District Education Officer that it was her duty to facilitate the work of the employee instead of creating hurdles for him.

The court allowed the petition with the direction that the petitioner would continue his duty in the same school and the lawmaker had no authority to interfere in the school’s affairs.

Saleem Shah Hoti, counsel for the petitioner, submitted before the bench that his client was tortured by the MPA and was trying to get him terminated.

The petitioner alleged that the MPA had asked him to take his sister Hina, a ninth grader, out of school and send her along with her mother to his house in Peshawar to serve as maid.

It was stated that the lawmaker was infuriated when the petitioner’s sister refused to leave school and threatened Israj Khan working on class-IV job in the school with dire consequences.

In revenge, he alleged, the petitioner’s family was evicted from the house built at the school premises.

He alleged the MPA along with his cousin Majid and gunman constable Ali Akbar beat him up on October 29 and forcibly obtained his thumb impression on a blank paper after his refusal to quit his job.