CJP takes notice of appointment procedure of VCs in 37 public universities

Justice Nisar also takes notice of extension given National College of Arts principal

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Sunday took suo motu notice on the appointment process of vice-chancellors of 37 public universities in Punjab. The chief justice directed the chief secretary to submit a report in this regard.

The CJP took notice while hearing complaints of public interests and human rights at the apex court’s Lahore registry.

Justice Nisar asked Punjab’s principal officer Zahid Saeed why there was not a uniform policy for recruitment of vice-chancellors in the government-run universities of Punjab.

Punjab Advocate General Shakilur Rehman Khan pointed out that the candidates mostly showed reluctance to be posted at universities in underdeveloped areas. To this, the CJP observed that how was it assumed that nobody was willing to go to the marginalised areas.



Meanwhile, the CJP also took suo motu notice of the extension given to Dr Murtaza Jafree, principal of National College of Arts.  A professor of the college, Rao Dilshad, had moved the court against Jafree’s extension.

In his petition, Dilshad said that Dr Jafree had completed his tenure as principal of the college and had then been given an extension.

He said Dr Jafree was overage for the post, but a law was being introduced for age relaxation just to legitimise his extension.

The CJP directed the government to submit a detailed report on the appointment of Dr Jafree.



The CJP also took notice of the appointment of professors in the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) allegedly in violation of merit. Justice Nisar directed the Punjab chief secretary and PIC Chief Executive Officer Nadeem Hayat Malik to furnish a detailed report.

One professor, Abdul Waheed, had filed a complaint pleading that a number of professors had been appointed in the PIC in violation of merit.

The complainant said professors who had a right to get jobs on merit were ignored in the appointment process and many juniors were appointed on political grounds.

He pleaded that the CJP take notice of the alleged illegal appointments.