The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday suspended the federal government's order to deport Pak-Turk schools staffers.

The court also suspended interior ministry orders refusing requests to extend visas of the Turkish staff.

Respondents, including the deputy attorney general and the interior ministry, were asked to submit a reply regarding the issue by Dec 13.

On Nov 14, the interior ministry ordered the Turkish staff of the educational network to leave Pakistan within a week. The extension in visa applications of these staffers was also rejected.

Turkey’s visiting Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had in August this year requested Pakistan to close down the Pak-Turk Schools for their alleged links to US-based cleric Fetullah Gulen. Pakistan had promised that it will look into the issue.

The network of the Pak-Turk Schools and Colleges was launched in 1995 under an INGO registered with the Turkish government. The chain has 28 schools now in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Multan, Karachi, Hyderabad, Khairpur, Jamshoro and Quetta. Some 11,000 students, of pre-school to ‘A’ Level ages, are studying there.