HEC ED: SC gives govt one week to respond for violating prescribed rules
Petitioner argues that new Executive Director appointed by establishment division in violation of HEC ordinance.
ISLAMABAD:
The controversy surrounding the appointment of a new Executive Director at the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) landed in the Supreme Court on Monday.
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.
The controversy surrounding the appointment of a new Executive Director at the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) landed in the Supreme Court on Monday.
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.