The petitioner's counsel argued that Rehman was appointed without advertising the post and had requested the court to declare his appointment illegal. PHOTO: FILE
The capital’s high court annulled the appointment of the vice president of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) on Wednesday.
Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui invalidated the appointment of IIUI Vice-President Sajid Rehman, observing that it was made without due process, which violates the principle of healthy competition. Earlier, a petition filed by members of the University Staff Welfare Association had challenged his appointment.
On April 20, IHC had reserved its judgment after the counsels concluded their arguments. The petitioner’s counsel had informed the court that Rehman was appointed as vice president of the university on October 2011 on contract for two years without the recommendation of the selection board. In his concluding arguments he had informed the court that as a research fellow at this university Rehman was retired on January 2011, but he was reappointed as director general Dawah Academy. “He was subsequently appointed as IIUI vice president in violation of rules”.
According to the rules the selection board has to approve the nomination before a vice president can be appointed. He had argued that Rehman was appointed without advertising the post and had requested the court to declare his appointment illegal.
Advocate Sardar Aslam, the defendant’s counsel, in his final arguments had maintained that the IIUI president was the sole authority for selecting a vice president and his client was appointed on contract for which there is no need for selection committee’s approval. He had argued that these rule could not apply on a contractual appointment and requested the court to reject the petition.
Since January, Justice Siddiqui has sent home a slew of political appointees, namely Pakistan Television Managing Director Yousaf Baig Mirza, Utility Stores Corporation Managing Director Maj. Gen. (retd) Malik M Farooq, Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Ali Arshad Hakeem and Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf. The court had observed that these officials were appointed without due process.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2013.
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Justice has finally been done. Sahibzada Sajid ur Rehman was drawing a huge contractual salary but was bent on reducing the salary of other faculty members. This kind of attitude is intolerable and the court was right in its judgement to send Rehman home. The acting Rector Masoom Yasinzai should also be sent home because he is a source of discouragement and demotivation for IIU teachers because he too wants to reduce the salary of other teachers. Such people who draw huge salaries themselves but wish the opposite for others should not be allowed to head public institutes.