Latest news with #PEEDAAct
Business Recorder
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Penalty of dismissal from service can't be awarded sans probe: SC
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court ruled that major penalty of dismissal from service cannot be awarded without conducting regular inquiry, or providing opportunity of being heard to a civil servant as it amounts to violation of principles of Natural Justice. It also said that in cases involving public funds extra caution and due care is required to be observed to prove the charge of embezzlement or misappropriation, whereas, proper inquiry needs to be conducted in a fair and transparent manner to ensure that the public funds, so misappropriated, could be retrieved and the civil servant involved in such offence, shall be punished accordingly. A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Mussarat Hilali, observed that while hearing an appeal against the Punjab Service Tribunal, Lahore. Brief facts of the case are that District Coordination Officer/ District Collector Mianwali proceeded against the petitioner (Malik Muhammad Ramzan) and awarded punishment of dismissal from service by invoking the provisions of PEEDA Act, 2006 on the charges of fraud and embezzlement of funds committed by the petitioner by increasing the amounts of cheques through forgery after getting them signed from the authorities. The petitioner, being aggrieved by the order of dismissal, filed departmental appeal before departmental authorities, which was rejected on 11.11.2016. The petitioner then filed revision petition, which was also dismissed on 02.03.2018. He then filed an appeal before the Punjab Service Tribunal, Lahore. However, such appeal was also dismissed on 24.01.2022. Thus, this petition was filed before the apex court. The petitioner contended before the Supreme Court that he was not provided with an opportunity of being heard. 'I was never served with any show-cause notice nor any regular inquiry was conducted while imposing a major penalty of dismissal from service,' he asserted. Conversely, the Additional Advocate General, Punjab, submitted that the petitioner was duly served with Show-Cause Notice(s) and was given an opportunity of being heard. The court after perusal of facts and examination of record, found that respondents failed to place on record any material or evidence to show that petitioner was ever served with the Show-Cause Notice(s) or was associated by the IO for the purposes of conducting regular inquiry. It further noted that major penalty of dismissal from service has been imposed on the allegations of embezzlement/ misappropriation of funds; however, without confronting the petitioner with any material or evidence, which may support such allegations. It set aside the Tribunal's verdict, and the respondents were directed to re-instate the petitioner into service. However, it remanded the matter to the departmental authority to conduct de novo inquiry into the allegations levelled against the petitioner while providing him sufficient opportunity of being heard in terms of Sections 9 and 10 of the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act, 2006. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
23-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Privatised schools report theft of equipment
In the last six months, more than 10,000 public schools were privatised by the Punjab School Education Department, and reports now reveal widespread theft from many of these schools. Stolen items include fans, furniture, tables, chairs, and solar panels. Grade-IV employees are being blamed, while inquiries against unknown individuals have also been initiated. According to departmental sources, schools in remote rural areas have seen extensive loss of school assets. A high-level investigation is underway to compile inventory data and identify missing items. Following this, school watchmen, security guards, and other junior staff will be questioned. Officials claim some personnel have taken stolen items for personal use and are being closely monitored. The department has warned of strict disciplinary action under the PEEDA Act and urged staff to voluntarily return any stolen property. The Punjab School Education Department had privatised an additional 4,789 public schools in the second phase of the privatisation drive in March. The list of these schools were made public. With this phase, the total number of public schools in Punjab has dropped further to 38,154. The third phase, 5,100 more schools were to be sold, further reducing the total count of public schools to 33,054. Punjab to dismiss contract teachers The Punjab School Education Department has decided to terminate the services of 10,202 temporary schoolteachers who were hired for four months on daily wages to address the shortage of staff in government schools. Their temporary employment period ends on May 31, and they will be effectively relieved of their duties on May 28 with the commencement of the summer vacation. The teachers set to be dismissed include 2,405 primary schoolteachers, 6,012
Business Recorder
28-04-2025
- Health
- Business Recorder
Protesting health employees clash with police
LAHORE: The police and the employees of the public hospitals had a clash here on Monday, when the latter tried to move from the Charing Cross to reach the CM Secretariat for holding their protest. The protestors had announced to move from the Charing Cross and stage a sit-in outside the CM Secretariat, to intensify the agitation against the outsourcing of the public hospitals. Following the announcement, the employees, including young doctors, nurses and paramedics, gathered in a large number on Monday and then marched towards the CM Secretariat. The police intensified security by making heavy deployment to engage the protesters at the Charing Cross and suggested to them to continue their agitation on the same venue. However, the protestors rejected the offer of the police. A clash took place between the two sides when the employees insisted for moving forward. It was alleged by the protestors that the police reportedly thrashed some of the young medics. The protestors moved back to their position at Chairing cross and continued protest. In the related development, the paramedics of some hospitals completely shut down the OPD and some other wards of the hospital which caused hardships to the patients. Reportedly, they locked the rooms of the doctors at the OPD and pushed the patients outside the facility. Moreover, the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department has ordered to immediately stop the salaries of doctors who are absent from hospitals without permission. The salaries will be restored after the doctors' report back to the respective hospitals. Instructions have been issued to all medical superintendents in this regard. The Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department has started disciplinary action against doctors who are absent from hospitals without permission. The Punjab Health Department has also imposed a ban on the leaves of all doctors, nurses and allied health staff. Those taking Ex-Pakistan Leave, EOL, study, maternity and Iddat leaves will be exempted from this ban. Doctors, nurses and allied health staff will be immediately returned to their Instructions have been given to report for duty. A letter has also been issued in this regard. Further, the Department has suspended two doctors under the PEEDA Act and dismissed one doctor from service for misconduct and closure of OPD of a teaching hospital. According to the details, Dr. Salman Haseeb of Services Hospital Lahore is suspended and training of PGR Dr. Ahmed Yar of Children Hospital Lahore has been suspended while Dr Muhammad Amir Bashir of General Hospital Lahore has been terminated from service. A notification has been issued in this regard. The Department alsos dismissed 3 medical officers of Dr Faisal Masood Teaching Hospital Sargodha for misconduct and closure of OPD, transferred one medical officer, while PG training of Nishtar Hospital Multan has been suspended. According to the details, Dr Muhammad Asjad Saleem, Medical Officer of Dr Faisal Masood Teaching Hospital Sargodha, has been dismissed for misconduct and closure of OPD, Medical Officer Dr. Osama Bin Saeed has been dismissed for misconduct and closure of OPD, and Medical Officer Dr Wajid Ali has been dismissed for misconduct and closure of OPD, while Medical Officer Dr Usman Imtiaz has been transferred and handed over to the Department of Primary and Secondary Health Care. According to details, the PG training of Dr Salman Ghafoor, a postgraduate resident of Nishtar Hospital Multan, has been suspended immediately due to misconduct and violation of discipline. A notification has also been issued in this regard. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
