Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, heading a three-judge bench of the apex court, issued notices to the federal government and the new acting ED of HEC Major (Retd) Qamaruz Zaman for allegedly violating the appointment rules of the commission (HEC).
Anwar Mansoor Khan, the counsel for petitioner, who was introduced as concerned citizen, told the court that in less than a year, the government has for the second time attacked the autonomy of the HEC and removed the Executive Director in violation of set rules and proscribed manner.
“It is sheer violation of HEC Ordinance’s section 11 that says that only HEC is appointing authority of ED, while being controlling authority Prime Minister does appoint the chairman of HEC,” adding that in this case notification of new ED was issued illegally by cabinet and establishment division.
Wasim Sajjad appeared on behalf of the HEC and supported the petition, saying that executive has no say in the appointment procedure of executive director.
The chief justice was surprised to hear that ED of HEC Sohail Naqvi was replaced by the government.
An official of HEC, Nasir Khan, handed over a document to the court in which chairman HEC Javed Laghari asked the new acting ED of the commission to start the process of hiring the new executive director immediately.
Responding to Sajjad and Khan’s plea, the chief justice said that the court could have issued a stay order in this regard but the HEC chairman himself entrusted upon new acting ED of the commission for process of appointment of new ED of HEC and now we will take up this case on December 17.
COMMENTS (20)
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Umar Baloch: Can Pakistan afford to employ anyone on the rates paid by developed countries? what a crap argument! It was not a matter of 3500 US$ or 4500 US$, Dr. Naqvi and Ata have a life-long gold mine in the shape of HEC; they will die but would never leave it!
@Jibran: Your calculation is just a sad part of your ignorance. I've recently done Ph.D and I know the salaries of university professors abroad. Being a postdoc, I'm getting 4500 $ per month from Canadian government which translate into 450000 Pakistani rupees. Dr. Sohail Naqvi (check his credentials on HEC website) was brought to Pakistan by Dr. Rehman on meager sum of 3500$ per month, less than that an average postdoc gets in Japan, Switzerland and Canada. Ignorant people like you make funny calculations in Pakistan. What a joke in this country. Perhaps, a jahil will ask for B.A. pass bureaucrat viz. Qamar Zaman to decide the future of higher studies and universities in Pakistan ???
2 term condition is for the those full members of the commission (borad of governers) of HEC.which are directly appointed by PM. Ed HEC is ex-officio member of the Commision (BoG) and the 2-term condition does not apply on him. Its a blatant move to kill HEC as it is clear by the vandalism going within HEC and the large scale politically motivated transfers.
Fake degree holder politicians striving for quota in HEC vs Right of common people for higher education on merit
GIK + US University educated foreign faculty professor, but here a contract employee has not right of extension/contract renewal in this country. Now the futur of higer studies and the negotiations with foreign universities will be done by a B.A. pass bureaucrat.What a joke in Pakistan !
This is Atrocious, This is a problem with Pakistanis, we can’t tolerate it if things are going fine we have to meddle and do something about that and probably bring change for the worse mostly.. One institution that works independently also functioning good but these politicians with their puny brains have to destroy it like the rest of the country and put the future of us students at stake. Sometimes I wonder if these politicians are doing everything in their power to scare the young generation out of the country.
This is Atrocious, This is a problem with Pakistanis, we can’t tolerate it if things are going fine we have to meddle and do something about that and probably bring change for the worse mostly..
One institution that works independently also functioning good but these politicians with their puny brains have to destroy it like the rest of the country and put the future of us students at stake. Sometimes I wonder if these politicians are doing everything in their power to scare the young generation out of the country.
"To be certain, politicisation of the HEC is bound to make it into another PIA, ‘great people to fly with’ or another Tezgam Express that left Karachi last Friday but is yet to arrive anywhere.
I remember ED of HEC Mr. Sohail Naqvi as a thorough gentleman. He was the one who was accessible 24/7 via his email in case you have any issue with regards to HEC. I remember him for asking his Personal Secretary to accompany me and get the job done when the lower staff were making an issue out of nothing.
@ Uza. You have failed to understand that SC itself had prevented the government from taking any action agianst HEC. Right or worng, the step taken up by the governemnt is illegal and contempt of the court. For your stary thoughts, the replacement is a "great educationist" with distinguised military career that goes upto major and then retired. He also. and represent the Ministry which is bent upon taking the autonomy of HEC. No matter how you look at it, government intent is all exposed, and it is rotten to say the least.
Dr Sohail Naqvi, has held the position for the past nine years. Transferred to the HEC in 2003 in a MP-1 Scale (Salary Rs 349,000) and promoted to ED on the same scale on contract for four years in Sept. 2004. In 2009, he was given second extension for four years, although the HEC Act clearly states that officials of the MP scale cannot be given an extension for more than one term. There is also a government ban on new inductions on new appointments on MP-1 scale, due to the abuse of the grading system.
Rs 349,000 x 12 months x 9 years = Rs. 3,76,92,000 (There could have been 4 more international scholarships)
@Uza Syed: Am more than happy that he is getting paid, would have paid him out of my own pockets for moving this petition. This is the silent majority speaking up, get used to it!
@Uza Syed: Typical remarks from a destructive partisan who is unable to view any issue objectively and frequently resorts to raising objections on tiny details.
IN USA 9/11 Commission report recognized the need to put development at the center of the counterterrorism agenda but now they just use drones. it is clearly urged in report that the U.S. government must provide education with the help of Pak but we just get drones but no university. I tell you drones are expensive than to university building in FAta. A poverty in FATA clearly the cause of terrorism. why they fail to understand this basic equation????? Are Zaredari and Rehman Malik not get this point in in 5 years???.There poor governance and extreme poverty, particularly when interacting with specific political and cultural phenomena, can create favorable conditions for terrorist networks to flourish in.
Now you want to corrupt HEC. You want more terrorism?? I think Rehman Malik enjoy terrorism activities in Pak.
@asim True the top of the judicial system is indeed rotten. Nothing better can come out of self righteous, vindictive, biased, and corrupt top, who is not answerable to anyone, claims parallels between his actions and those of the caliphs while protecting his son, strangulating the voices of dissent. Previously, only the generals used to make such claims. And PML-N was happily giving them shoulders. This time its the judges. The role of PML-N remains the same. Pakistanis will have a sigh of relief when this judge will retire.
Once the top is rotten what it will deliver. SC failed to check the highest post of the president and comprised on it the consequences are abvious.
Anwar Mansoor Khan, the counsel for petitioner, who was introduced as concerned citizen ----- concerned citizen? how? The man is working for the guy who lost his job, as his counsellor he would get paid, so what is he concerned about as a citizen that his client wins and he gets paid. I'm a concerned citizen and feel aggrieved to see all these jokers like this lawyer making this case of legitimate expiry of contract and thus loss of an individual's job a public concern. Public concern is that the organizations created at our cost to serve our purpose are not converted into a charity organization to look after interests of someone's 'ego alter' or sidekicks. HEC is not anyone's personal property or a legacy to be run accroding to his whims by his 'chamchas'. What does CJ and SC have to with this case. They are better off taking care of rehabilitating their own honour in the eyes of the people of Pakistan, do they realize what havoc the corruption of the CJ's Zada's corruption has caused to the honour of this court.
WHy PPP govt devastate one by one in country???? . The Sharif and Zardari family didnt even care that as there all children are studying abroad. These are Zardari and Sharif govt out there that do far worse things in this Pakistan and recieve this much hate from young graduates. Let any thing to work on merit please. Why they want to punish us for electing them???