Karim Ullah
Booni, Sept 2, 2025: In a move that has raised concerns in educational circles, the Higher Education Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has relaxed the provincial government’s ongoing ban on postings and transfers of government employees to transfer the principal and the lone physics lecturer of Govt. Boys Degree College (GDC) Booni, citing “best public interest.”
According to an official notification issued by the department: “The competent authority is pleased to order posting/ transfer of the following teaching staff of male colleges cadre at colleges mentioned against each, in relaxation of ban, in the best public interest with immediate effect.”
As per the order, Prof. Mohammad Karim Khan, serving as principal of the college, and Rahmat Hasil, lecturer in physics, have been relieved of their duties in Booni and transferred out of Chitral to different areas of Dir Upper. However, replacements for these two crucial positions have not yet been appointed, creating uncertainty regarding the smooth continuation of both academic and administrative affairs at the college.
Social media users criticized the government move and said the principal and lecturer were part of a committee that had recommended departmental action against a GDC Class IV, a PTI supporter, for prolonged absenteeism. They said the principal and lecturer were removed from the college as a punishment at the behest of the local party leaders.
Parents, students, and local stakeholders fear that this sudden move could seriously undermine the institution’s performance. Community members pointed out that the college was already grappling with a shortage of teaching staff, and the removal of its only physics lecturer without a substitute would leave a significant gap in science education. They stressed that the absence of a principal would also affect day-to-day management and decision-making at the institution.
Local circles and education activists have therefore urged the provincial government to immediately withdraw the transfer orders of the principal and lecturer in the best interest of education in the remote areas of Chitral.