The Supreme Court (SC) while admitting a petition filed by the Balochistan Teachers Association (BTA) has suspended an order by the Balochistan High Court (BHC) which orders sacking of protesting teachers.
A three-member SC bench headed by Justice Gulzar took up the petition for hearing on Monday, the petitioner counsel Asma Jahangir appeared in the court and took the plea that the BHC has overstepped its powers by issuing the termination orders.
The teachers had approached the BHC for implementation of orders related to their seniority but the court issued their termination orders, calling them protestors, she argued. She said that the high court said in its decision that observing strike or holding protest was tantamount to indulging in rebellion. The essential service act does not apply to teachers, Jahangir said. Formation of trade union and observing protest is fundamental right of employees, she said.
