A constitutional bench of the Sindh High Court on Thursday directed authorities to immediately stop deductions from the salaries and pensions of teachers across Sindh province. The court also restrained the Treasury Department and other relevant authorities from taking further action until the next hearing.
The bench was hearing a petition challenging the suspension of the time-scale policy and the recovery of additional financial benefits from teachers. Advocate Asadullah Baloch, representing the petitioners, stated that the applicants included both retired and serving teachers of the Sindh Education Department, encompassing regular teachers, physical training instructors, and workshop instructors.
The petition highlighted that teachers had been promoted and upgraded during their service according to departmental rules. Under the Sindh government’s time-scale policy, salaries were paid in grades 15 to 20. However, a letter issued by the Finance Department Sindh on January 21, followed by an implementation directive from the School Education Department Sindh, resulted in salary deductions and recovery of benefits.
Petitioners argued that these deductions and recoveries, especially for retired teachers, were unlawful. After reviewing the submissions, the Sindh High Court ordered that no involuntary deductions be made from salaries or pensions until further notice.
The court also issued notices to the relevant departments and adjourned the case for three weeks. This order provides temporary relief to teachers while the matter is considered in greater detail, ensuring that financial rights under the time-scale policy are protected.
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