ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has reinforced the mandatory requirement of securing at least 40 percent marks in the National Testing Service (NTS) test for PST teacher recruitment, overturning the Peshawar High Court’s order that sought to include candidates who failed the test.
Justice Shakeel Ahmed, in the written verdict, dismissed petitions filed by unsuccessful candidates seeking their inclusion in the merit list.
The court clarified that candidates who fail the NTS test cannot legally challenge the recruitment policy or raise objections to eligibility criteria after participating in the process. Legal action cannot be claimed post-failure.
The Supreme Court reaffirmed that the 2017 education department policy is fully legal, and courts do not interfere in policy-making.
It also noted that the Peshawar High Court’s view that the Education Minister’s directives have no legal standing was incorrect. Under the Rules of Business, the provincial education minister is authorized to set recruitment criteria. The trial court erred by ordering the inclusion of failed candidates in the merit list, misinterpreting the law, and relying on the repealed 2014 policy instead of the current 2017 policy.
The court emphasized that judicial interference in recruitment standards and policy matters is not permitted.
Petitioners had requested the inclusion of candidates scoring below 40 percent in the NTS test, which the Supreme Court rejected.
