[DAWN] The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday restrained the government from deporting Turkish teachers working for the PakTurk International Schools and sought a reply from the interior ministry on the matter.Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza passed the interim order on a writ petition filed by Mehmet Ali Seker and other teachers associated with the PakTurk Educational Foundation.
Advocate Asma Jahangir argued before the court that the petitioners were residing lawfully in Pakistain on visas issued under the "NGO category" and enjoyed an unblemished record as they abided by the relevant laws.
She said the interior ministry declined to extend the petitioners’ visas without disclosing any reason and asked them and other Turkish national employees of the foundation to leave the country.
Some of the petitioners and their family members, who possessed visas valid till January, were also ordered to be deported, the counsel said.
She also argued that the ministry was "planning a smooth takeover" of the foundation in favour of a different organization owing to domestic politics in
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
. She said the government also cancelled registration of the foundation by promulgating the Companies Ordinance of 2016.