SC sends KU VC appointment case back to SHC

Says the High Court should look into the facts and decide

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) has sent back the petition filed against the procedure of appointment of the Vice Chancellor of Karachi University to the Sindh High Court (SHC) and directed that the top court of the province should take a decision after examining all the facts.

A three-member bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial heard the case. The SC said that the search committee had recommended names of three candidates to the government as per the new law.

The chief minister of Sindh had notified one of the three for the position. The High Court should review all the facts and decide again.

During the hearing, the petitioner's lawyer took a stand that the High Court issued three-point orders for the appointment of the Vice Chancellor, as it asked to immediately remove the acting Vice Chancellor and install a permanent Vice Chancellor, ordered the reconstitution of the search committee and ordered to keep interview records of candidates for one year.

The Chief Justice said that while the court gives guidelines, implementing these is the job of the concerned institutions.

Justice Ayesha Malik asked if the interviews were not recorded. To this, the lawyer said that the court had asked for the recording because some candidates were asked easy questions and some were asked difficult questions.

Justice Ayesha Malik said that the permanent vice-chancellor has been appointed and has started his work.

The lawyer of the university said that the appointment has been made according to the law, so now the excuse of recording is being raised.

The petitioner's counsel said that students were also included in the search committee and the law was not followed.

The court ordered to send the case back to the High Court.

The petitioner had challenged the appointment of Karachi University Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Khalid Iraqi.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2022.