IHC issues notice in QAU appointments case

Petitioner claims legal procedures compromised in hiring two professors

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has issued notice to Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) in the alleged case of illegal appointment of two professors at School of Politics and International Relations (SPIR).

Confucius Institute Director and Punjab University Political Science Assistant Professor Dr Rana Ijaz Ahmad had challenged these appointments in his writ petition before the IHC.

Justice Athar Minallah while hearing this petition on Friday ruled that notice be issued to QAU, its vice chancellor and other respondents for filing report and para-wise comments within a fortnight.

The order acknowledges the petitioner’s grievance on count of discarding a transparent process which was initiated for filling the post advertised in March 2016 and his counsel’s plea that the process of scrutiny is in progress and QAU has initiated a summary for the appointments of two professors against the advertised posts.

The said posts of two professors at SPIR were initially advertised in March 2013. However, the syndicate subsequently decided to re-advertise these positions after an inquiry conducted by a member of Federal Public Service Commission and QAU Selection Board revealed serious irregularities in the appointment process.

The then registrar of QAU was suspended for committing these and other irregularities at the university.

Dr Ahmed is one of the applicants for the re-advertised posts, and his immediate reason for seeking judicial remedy in this case is the decision earlier this month by the syndicate and its sub-committee to appoint two SPIR faculty members as professors, who are neither the applicants for the re-advertised posts nor recommended by the selection board for such appointments, as per the above petition.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2018.