183 employees sacked in G-B

GILGIT, March: 16: The Gilgit-Baltistan administration has fired 183 permanent employees of the education department.

The step was taken after the AGPR stopped their salaries declaring that their appointment was made in violation of laid down procedure, senior officials said.

“183 workers of the education department have been fired by the secretary education and their termination has been notified,” an official of GB secretariat disclosed to Dawn requesting not to be named.

The official said the sacked employees, including teachers, clerks and peons were appointed by the deputy directors education of various districts as well as the director education academics.

Sources said the AGPR office stopped the payment of salaries on the grounds that the recruitments were made in sheer violation of the laid down procedure. “Neither the positions were advertised nor a test and interview was held prior to their induction into the education department,” said the source quoting the AGPR office.

Meanwhile, the sacked employees have decided to move court against the government measure.

JUDGES APPOINTED: The Prime Minister of Pakistan Raja Pervez Ashraf has approved appointment of two judges to the chief court of Gilgit-Baltistan in his capacity as the Chairman of the GB Council, officials said.

Officials said Mohammad Alam, district and sessions judge, Gilgit, was elevated as member of the chief court while Law Minister of the region Wazir Shakil was also made judge of the chief court.

The court officials disclosed that a notification from the Prime Minister Secretariat to this effect would be issued soon.

The Law Minister Wazir Shakil Ahmed was elected from LA-9 Skardu-III and is a renowned lawyer of the region. With his appointment as judge of the chief court the seat of Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly has fallen vacant.

With the induction of two judges the number of judges of the chief court has reached three still two short of the required strength of the court.http://dawn.com/2013/03/17/183-employees-sacked-in-g-b/