HEC has sought help from the Sindh Police and Rangers in vacating office of the FUUAST (VC) claiming it is “illegally occupied” PHOTO: hec.gov.pk
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has sought help from the Sindh Police and Rangers in vacating office of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology (FUUAST) vice-chancellor (VC) claiming it is “illegally occupied” by Zafar Iqbal.
The HEC on Thursday wrote letters to the Sindh IGP and Sindh Rangers director general requesting “support in getting the office of the vice chancellor vacated from illegal…occupation of Dr Zafar Iqbal and his accomplices”.
Court circles
In its 26th meeting on December 20, 2014, the university senate ordered the handover of additional charge of the office of vice chancellor to University of Karachi VC Dr Muhammad Qaiser, while sending Dr Zafar Iqbal on leave for a period of three months.
Iqbal moved the Sindh High Court (SHC), maintaining that the senate was not authorised to send him on leave. The court granted a stay against the senate decision. The FUUAST administration, managed to vacate the stay order on March 11, 2015, and Dr Qaiser assumed charge.
The court observed Qaiser was the lawful varsity head.
“Notwithstanding, lqbal continued to defy and act as VC till May 18, 2015, when the Sindh High Court finally dismissed the petition, along with all related applications,” the HEC letter said.
Qaiser reassumed charge as head of FUUAST on May 18, 2015, sending Dr Zafar lqbal on leave effective the same day.
Iqbal then moved the Supreme Court on June 8 challenging the university senate and SHC decisions.
HEC’s plea
HEC maintains Iqbal forcefully entered and unlawfully took over the office of VC on June 10 on the basis of his petition to the apex court. “[The Supreme Court] has not restored his status as VC or suspended the SHC decision,” the HEC has written.
HEC Chairperson Dr Mukhtar said they wrote the letter because the VC occupied the office by unlawful means.
Iqbal, however, rejected the claims made in the letter, claiming that the Supreme Court had set aside the senate decision to send him on forced leave. He claimed that the apex court observed that he should continue as the VC. “The corrupt mafia has ganged up against me,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2015.
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