LAHORE: Taking notice of the torture on a former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) school teacher and journalists from a private television channel, the Lahore High Court chief justice on Saturday ordered a judicial inquiry headed by Cantt Magistrate Masroor Anwar to ascertain the facts of the incident.
The inquiry will begin on November 1 (Monday) and the magistrate will submit its report to the LHC in 48 hours. Fouzia Iftikhar Khan had visited the LDA Building on Friday along with her husband to meet LDA high-ups but LDA guards had tortured her along with TV journalists who came to her rescue. Separately, the LDA on Saturday issued details of the incident and the court orders against Fouzia.
A LDA spokesman said that Fouzia was appointed as a secondary school teacher on contract basis for three years according to appointment letter dated July 8, 2008. The LDA Model High School for Girls principal and the LDA Model High School for Boys, Johar Town principal through letters dated August 26, 2009 informed the LDA administration that Fouzia was not in a stable state of mind and her acts showed that she was suffering from psychiatric problems.
After these reports were filed, Fouzia was suspended. LDA Model High School for Girls, Allama Iqbal Town, Principal Parveen Nazir was appointed the inquiry officer who after recording the statements of the concerned staff, wrote a letter dated October 15, 2009 recommending Fouzia’s dismissal from service.
In response to the suspension order, Fouzia had submitted an application dated October 3, 2009, which was sufficient to prove her incompetence. On the same day she also presented her visiting card, which showed the instability of her mind. Consequently, by order dated December 26, 2009, she was dismissed from service.
Aggrieved by her dismissal, the teacher filed a petition in the LHC but the court by order dated March 26 dismissed the petition, up-holding her dismissal. Fouzia filed an intra-court appeal number and the LHC bench by order dated May 3 set aside the order of her dismissal and referred the case back to the LDA DG with directions to proceed in the matter strictly in accordance with law and to pass a fresh order in respect of the allegations made against the appellant after granting her an opportunity of hearing.
Afterwards, Fouzia was granted a detailed opportunity of personal hearing on September 21 by the LDA DG and the department head by order dated October 21 up-held her dismissal on the grounds that she did not posses a sound mind and her service would jeopardise the prosperity of the organisation.
LHC CJ orders judicial inquiry into LDA torture incident
