Daily Times

The Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) College teachers have approached the Supreme Court against the management of the foundation which has reportedly failed to implement apex court orders regarding payment of outstanding dues to them, Daily Times has learnt reliably.

In a plea, two teachers of OPF Girls College F-8/2 Islamabad Baleena Khalid and Sameena Jabeen Rana requested the SC to take action against OPF administration which is not paying their outstanding dues. The applicants quoted the SC’s verdict of February 2019 in which the court had directed the OPF management to regularise the teachers from their initial appointment dates and pay their all dues accordingly. “The administration did not implement their undertaking submitted in the court,” it added.

The applicants said that they have been paid gratuity for nine years which is against the court orders as they have joined the institute in 2001. “The OPF is liable to pay us all kind of dues from 2001 instead of 2010 as per SC order,” reads the application. The above cited SC order of 2019 is continuation of a verdict passed by the same court in 2010. According to the court order, the copy of which is available with this scribe, the OPF management had been directed to regularize the teachers from the date of their appointment subject to be entitled them seniority (first category) in such manner which does not affect the seniority of the regularly appointed teachers by OPF girls’ college in the first category

The petitioners said that the contenders (OPF administration) have deliberately and illegally not implemented the SC orders. Besides, the petitioners requested for grant any other consequential or appropriate relief that the court finds suitable in the facts.

Other than aforementioned college, these teachers are working with other OPF educational institutions. The document stated that they were hired on contractual basis many years ago but still working on temporary basis.

Despite Repeated attempts, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari did not respond.

When contacted, OPF Education Division Director General Mubashir Ahmed Khan denied the facts saying that not a single teacher has been discriminated and all have been paid their dues. “I want to make you sure that so for all retired teachers have been paid all kinds of their payables,” he claimed.

The DG said that it is very surprising that the teachers instead of approaching the administration have directly sought court’s help. “To go in any court is everyone’s right but we are confident as we did nothing wrong,” he asserted, adding that they will give the same stance in the court if it summons the management.

However, a teaching wishing anonymity said that the DG is fully aware of the teachers that are being victimized. “He is intentionally pretending to be ignorant as a face-saving tactic,” she alleged.

The aggrieved teacher Sameena Jabeen Rana told Daily Times that after filling application in the apex court she, as a single parent, is scared about any unknown consequences. “I don’t know what will happen with me afterwards but I have been left with no option,” she said. Sameena is hopeful of some favourable outcome from the SC.

The available information suggests that the OPF Girls College F-8/2 Islamabad employs over 200 people. Particularly from last one decade, the college has been in talk for discrimination with teaching and non-teaching staffers by the authorities concerned. Whenever someone raised voice against any kind of irregularity, he/she either was transferred to outstation from Islamabad or the OPF high-ups used to proceed some sort of action against them on disciplinary charges.