The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) nullified the Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training’s (MOFE&PT) order to reinstate Dr. Samia Dogar to her former position as Director, Federal College of Education (FCE).
Mr. Majid Umer, an associate professor at FCE, has been directed to look after the administrative matters of FCE as a principal.
Earlier, the MOFE&PT had issued the reinstatement order of Dr. Samia Dogar on December 12, 2023, following a directive from the Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment.
However, after 48 days, the FDE, an attached/subordinate department of MOFE&PT, took the unprecedented step of canceling the reinstatement orders, raising eyebrows and concerns among the educational community. Critics argue that such a move challenges the established hierarchy within government offices, as the FDE is an attached department of the MOFE&PT. It is pertinent to mention here that Dr. Samia Dogar, a Professor of BPS-20 position, had previously been removed from the directorship of FCE and the administrative control of FCE was abruptly transferred to the FDE on March 1, 2023.
Dr Samia was attached to Islamabad Model College for Girls, G-10/4, allegedly as a form of punishment, further complicated the situation, leading to a violation of seniority lists and recruitment rules specific to the FCE.
The Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment issued a directive to MOFE&PT, directing the immediate reinstatement of Professor Dr. Samia Dogar to her previous position.
This decision followed an appeal filed by Dr. Samia against Waseem Ajmal Chaudhary, Secretary of MOFE&PT, under Section 6 of the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010.
The ombudsman expressed serious concerns about the proceedings of the inquiry committee of MOFE&PT, highlighting the violation of Dr. Samia’s due process rights leading to the reinstatement of Dr. Samia by MOFE&PT on December 12, 2023.
