LHC holds Ombudsperson responsible for misconduct
UHS VC ordered to respond to PhD applicant’s request
Lahore High Court. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
Lahore High Court (LHC) last week held Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Yasin Abbassey responsible for misconduct, and recommended that a reference for her removal be sent to the Supreme Judicial Council.
The judgement read, “The insubordinate and recalcitrant conduct of the Federal Ombudsman is unbecoming and offends the honour and prestige of the constitutional court. Her disobedient conduct, prima facie, attracts Section 5 of the Act, 2013, which provides for removal of Ombudsman.”
Earlier, hearing a petition against the ombudsperson, the judge had issued her several notices but she had not appeared before the court. The judge had then issued her arrest warrants and also issued a contempt of court notice. Instead of replying to the notice, the ombudsperson had issued a show cause notice to the judge. Next day, the ombudsperson appeared before the judge and tendered apology at which the judge dropped contempt of court proceedings against her. But the ombudsperson had later issued arrest warrants for the judge. The chief justice of Pakistan had taken a suo motu notice of the ombudsperson’s move.
On May 17, Justice Shah had issued detailed judgement and recommended a reference for her removal from the office. The judge said that while taking shelter behind a sub-constitutional legislation, the ombudsperson kept on defying court orders.
UHS research
Justice Mirza Viqas Rauf of the LHC directed the University of Health Science (UHS) vice chancellor last week to respond to a letter sent to his office by a PhD applicant, questioning the quality of research at the university.
The judge issued the directive on a petition by Qaisar Rashid who submitted that he had done MSc in Medical Molecular Biology from the University of Westminster, London, in 2002. He said he had appeared in a PhD admission test of the UHS along with two other candidates who had done MPhil from the UHS. He said he was the only candidate to have passed the test. He said he had asked the UHS VC to apprise him of research standards at the university as both of the UHS students had failed the entry test.
He said the VC had not responded to him. He requested the court to direct the VC to respond to his queries.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2016.
Lahore High Court (LHC) last week held Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Yasin Abbassey responsible for misconduct, and recommended that a reference for her removal be sent to the Supreme Judicial Council.
The judgement read, “The insubordinate and recalcitrant conduct of the Federal Ombudsman is unbecoming and offends the honour and prestige of the constitutional court. Her disobedient conduct, prima facie, attracts Section 5 of the Act, 2013, which provides for removal of Ombudsman.”
Earlier, hearing a petition against the ombudsperson, the judge had issued her several notices but she had not appeared before the court. The judge had then issued her arrest warrants and also issued a contempt of court notice. Instead of replying to the notice, the ombudsperson had issued a show cause notice to the judge. Next day, the ombudsperson appeared before the judge and tendered apology at which the judge dropped contempt of court proceedings against her. But the ombudsperson had later issued arrest warrants for the judge. The chief justice of Pakistan had taken a suo motu notice of the ombudsperson’s move.
On May 17, Justice Shah had issued detailed judgement and recommended a reference for her removal from the office. The judge said that while taking shelter behind a sub-constitutional legislation, the ombudsperson kept on defying court orders.
UHS research
Justice Mirza Viqas Rauf of the LHC directed the University of Health Science (UHS) vice chancellor last week to respond to a letter sent to his office by a PhD applicant, questioning the quality of research at the university.
The judge issued the directive on a petition by Qaisar Rashid who submitted that he had done MSc in Medical Molecular Biology from the University of Westminster, London, in 2002. He said he had appeared in a PhD admission test of the UHS along with two other candidates who had done MPhil from the UHS. He said he was the only candidate to have passed the test. He said he had asked the UHS VC to apprise him of research standards at the university as both of the UHS students had failed the entry test.
He said the VC had not responded to him. He requested the court to direct the VC to respond to his queries.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2016.