PESHAWAR, Sept 6: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday took exception to the non-compliance of a court order by the education department and directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary to ensure that all the departments should comply with court orders.

It was observed that in case of any future violation by any of the department, the court would take stern action. The bench was hearing a contempt of court petition filed by a female director physical education, Yahya Begum, presently serving at Swabi.

The petitioner had earlier filed a writ petition for the implementation of spouses' policy of the government according to which spouses serving in government departments had to be posted at same stations.

The petitioner stated that her husband, Naeem Khan, had been serving in the Pakistan Air Force in Peshawar whereas she had been posted at Swabi. She had also filed a departmental application requesting for her posting at Peshawar.

In June last, the court disposed of her petition with the direction to the elementary and secondary education to dispose of her application at the earliest. The petitioner stated that despite the court order the department had not been deciding her application.

The bench took exception to the issue and directed that the concerned secretary should appear in person. The secretary, Mushtaq Jadoon, appeared before the court and stated that no vacant post was available in Peshawar and adjoining districts due to which the request of the petitioner could not be entertained.

The bench directed the secretary to produce record of all the posts of director physical education here on the next hearing. The bench also directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa advocate general, Asadullah Khan Chamkani, to convey to the chief secretary the order of the court.

The court regretted that postings and transfers had been made on political basis by the concerned officials. It was observed that in past only 10 per cent people were annoyed with the government departments, but now that number had increased to 100 per cent as people had not been receiving justice there and they had now been moving the courts.

SUSPECT ARRESTED:

The district police officer of Haripur, Mohammad Ali Ghandapur, informed the high court that one of the suspects in connection with the murder of advocate Yawar Saleem had been arrested whereas efforts were underway for arresting rest of the culprits.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Malik Azmatullah directed the DPO to expedite efforts for arresting the remaining accused persons.

The chief justice had taken suo motu notice of the case after the killing of Yawar Saleem, who was kidnapped for ransom in Haripur few months ago.

The DPO informed the court that they had arrested one of the suspects identified as Fida. He added that they had also recovered Rs150,000 from his possession and he had made confession while in custody. He added that some other suspects had fled away to Afghanistan and they were contacting Interpol for their arrest.