PESHAWAR, Aug 3: The Peshawar High Court here on Wednesday dismissed identical writ petitions filed by four retired army officers against their removal from the posts of trainers in Elite Police Force.

The court declared the decision of provincial government of rehiring their services as trainers in Elite Police Force as illegal.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and Justice Khalid Mehmood observed that the officials were removed from service in accordance with the judgment of Supreme Court that directed that retired officials could not be re-hired on contract basis.

The petitioners -- Major (retired) Mahmoodul Hassan, Maj (retired) Mazhar Qayum, Maj (retired) Maqbool Khan and Maj (retired) Laiq Siraj -- stated that they were appointed on contract basis for two years in Elite Police Force by the provincial government.

They said that their services were hired for training of personnel of the force. However, the petitioners claimed that after a year of their service, the government terminated their contract.

The counsel appearing for the petitioners contended that provincial government acted in illegal manner by terminating their contract. He argued that once the government entered into contract with them for two years, it could not cancel the same.

The bench observed that the apex court had clearly placed a bar on re-appointment of retired officials on government posts.

Meanwhile, the same bench suspended an order of the provincial health department regarding the alleged posting of a junior nurse as nursing superintendent at Khyber Teaching Hospital.

The bench also summoned provincial secretary of health department, registrar of Khyber Medical University and chief executive of Khyber Teaching Hospital on next hearing directing them to appear in person and clarify their position.

The bench was hearing a writ petition filed by the former nursing superintendent, Zeenat Begum, stating that replacing her with another nurse, Abida Sajjad, was illegal as she was junior to her.

Advocate Ijaz Khan Sabi appeared for the petitioner and contended that the petitioner was the most senior nurse at the hospital and was made head nurse in 1996. He said that later the petitioner was posted as nursing superintendent.

The counsel added that on July 8, 2011, the provincial health secretary issued a notification through which the petitioner was removed from her post and instead a nurse junior to her was made the nursing superintendent.

He contended that the act of the government was illegal and in violation of the Principle of seniority.