RAWALPINDI:
Nearly 3,000 investigations of all kinds within the Punjab Education Department were still ongoing in 2025, with the legal validity and prescribed deadlines for around 2,000 of these investigations having already expired.
In different districts of the province, almost 3,000 education-related requests remained unanswered. These include thorough and regular investigations, as well as formal, internal, administrative, human resources and forensic investigations.
Due to vested interests, political interference, undue influence, involvement of irrelevant institutions and illegal practices, these investigations – particularly in Rawalpindi and several other districts of Punjab – exceeded legal deadlines and consequently became ineffective.
According to a Supreme Court judgment, if an investigation against a government employee continues for three months and the employee remains suspended during that period, but the competent authority does not formally extend the investigation by issuing fresh orders, the investigation and suspension automatically lapse and are closed as per the rules.
Under current regulations, a comprehensive investigation must be completed within 30 days, while a regular investigation has a legally mandated duration of 60 days. In certain circumstances, and consistent with legal requirements, an investigator may request an extension of the investigation period.
However, within the Ministry of Education, investigations are frequently hampered by political interference, vested interests, bribery, illegal behavior and undue influence. As a result, investigations are either deliberately delayed or suppressed to render them ineffective – a practice that has affected nearly 3,000 cases.
The Punjab government recently decided that investigations in all departments, including the education department, should be completed within 90 days and relevant authorities would be held accountable. The move is widely seen as a positive and encouraging step, provided its implementation is strictly ensured.
Education officials Amjad, Basharat Iqbal Raja and Shafiq Bhalowalia believe that the Education Secretary should issue strict instructions from the start of the new year to ensure that every survey is completed within the stipulated time. They further demanded that action be taken against any official or committee that fails to conclude investigations in a timely manner.
