Islamabad High Court (IHC), on Thursday, ordered a stay to the transfer proceedings of an employee of Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF). Justice Amir Farooq set aside the transfer of petitioner Samina Imran being transferred outstation due to her alleged confrontation against discrimination. Imran, a lecturer at OPF Girls College F-8/2 was transferred to OPF Public School, Mansehra. She approached IHC to contest the transfer while pledging that it was an absolute violation of the law. The petitioner believed that these orders were merely vested victimisation because she dared raise her voice against alleged illegalities and injustice with the OPF employees, as practised by high-ups. In short order, Justice Farooq said, “office (OPF) is directed to remit a copy of instant petition along with the respondent, who shall treat the same as representation on the part of petitioner and shall decide it through a speaking and reasoned order disposed-off accordingly.” The judgment stated that it was an established principle that the posting and transfer were an exigency of service and could not be transferred with unless tainted by mala fide. “There is nothing on record to show impugned order suffers from mala fide and the fact that the transfer order is in violation of wedlock also is not born out from documents appended with,” the verdict maintained. Petitioner says despite extreme mental pressure; she did not bow before discrimination It further stated that the impugned order was a violation of the section 24-A of the General Clause Act 1897 and a wedlock policy of the government, setting merits aside. According to the information available, Imran along with some other colleagues had raised the voice for their rights for regularisation and asked for other due perks and privileges from OPF management. In a judgment given last year, Supreme Court (SC) directed for regularisation of around 40 employees of the aforementioned college from the initial date. However, the OPF management evaded implementing apex court directives. The employees, however, filed a contempt petition in the SC. During the hearing of the filed plea, a two-member SC bench of Justice Mushir Alim and Justice Maqbool Baqir had ordered the respondents (OPF administration) to regularise the employees as from the initial dates of their appointment. The court also directed the administration to pay all other perks and privileges to the employees. “Respondents are directed to comply with the orders of this court with the orders of this court as reproduced within 15 days and compliance report be filed for our perusal in chambers,” added the judge. The OPF management, as per sources, avoided implementing the court order. Instead, they added, it had generated a new controversy while transferring teachers with an intention to repress their voice raised for their legal rights. The case was heard on February 15. One of the petitioners said that given the timeframe was over, the administration was still dilly-dallying to comply with the order. Instead of giving relief and mental ease, the officials regretted, the management was badly treating the teacher, which as highly deplorable. While talking to Daily Times, Samina Imran applauded the IHC decision for granting her stay order and said that despite extreme mental pressure, she had not bowed before discrimination. “Finally, I stood successful because I was on the right path,” she recalled. When contacted over the IHC decision, OPF Managing Director, Dr Amir Sheikh was not available for comment. According to documents, around 40 CS4, a special cadre given to the OPF teachers in PPP’s tenure, employees of OPF Girls College F-8/2 were said to be waiting for their regularisation for last 10 years. They knocked on all doors, including the apex court, all went in vain. A teacher said that the contenders had, deliberately and illegally, not implemented the SC orders. “Punish them for their open and blatant violation of the SC’s judgment, despite the fact that they assured before the court to resolving the teachers’ issue,” teachers regretted.