HYDERABAD, April 15: The Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, on Wednesday issued notices to the Sindh health secretary and Civil Hospital medical superintendent on a joint petition filed by 34 sacked employees of the hospital , challenging termination of their services.

The matter has been fixed for hearing on April 22. The petitioners said that they were appointed on the posts of operation theatre technician, laboratory assistant, dresser, ward servant, watchman etc.

They said that in July 2,003, after a requisition by the secretary, the MS furnished details of vacant posts and after approval from competent authority, the secretary invited applications from the residents of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas districts for 144 posts of BPS-1 to 9 through electronic media and newspapers.

They said that the secretary received 25,131 applications and the MS constituted 25 committees, comprising officials from the hospital and other health institutions, to conduct interviews of candidates in 25 centres.

They said that interviews were held at Niaz Stadium where 25 camps were set up and around 5,850 candidates appeared. Of them, the petitioners said, 52 candidates obtained highest grades and were recommended for appointment by the committees and in the last week of February, the medical superintendent issued orderers for appointing them on different posts.

They said that in March 2004, the new health minister assumed the charge of his office and asked the MS, Dr Shafqatullah Memon, to cancel the appointment orders. Since the MS refused to do so, they added, he was transferred and incumbent MS Dr Hadi Bux Jatoi was appointed as stop gap arrangement vide order of April 1 without any approval by the Sindh chief minister and chief secretary.

They argued that on the same day through another illegal order, DR Memon was sent on forced leave. They said that without getting any approval from the health secretary and issuing notice to the petitioners, the MS issued orders on April 9, cancelling/ withdrawing their appointment orders.

The petitioners' counsel, Jhamatmal Jethanand, argued that the April 9 order was against the principle of natural justice and liable to be declared void. He pleaded that the present MS was appointed by new health minister to remove the petitioners who had been selected in a legal way after adoption of proper procedure in a transparent manner.

He said that the petitioners had joined their duties and Dr Jatoi had no authority to pass sacking orders after completion of entire process of appointment. He prayed the court to declare the order of April 9 illegal and issue permanent injunction restraining the respondents from acting on the said order.