LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday withdrew a stay order earlier granted to the registrar and controller of examination of the University of Engineering and Technology with direction to its syndicate to decide their matter of appointment in the light of the Higher Education Department (HED) inquiry report.

Earlier, the HED had directed the UET administration to remove its registrar and controller of examination as an inquiry committee found their appointment illegal. The HED issued a directive on March 7 to the UET vice chancellor, asking him to de-notify the illegal appointments of Muhammad Asif (registrar) and Muhammad Zargham Nusrat (controller of examination) within 15 days.

Advocate Sheraz Zaka appeared on behalf of the petitioner and argued that the appointments had been made in violation of service rules and regulations. He submitted that according to service rules it requires 13 years of experience which the registrar as well as controller of examination lack, and argued that illegal appointments would lead to bad governance.

He submitted that both registrar and controller of examination be removed.

The petitioner’s counsel also submitted the inquiry report of the HED that directed the vice chancellor to remove the registrar and controller of examination.

Advocate Hafiz Tariq Nasim appeared before the court on behalf of the respondents and submitted that the petition was not competent and should be dismissed with cost as it had been filed with mala fide.

Justice Rasal Syed after hearing both the parties directed the university syndicate to consider the report of the HED and make a decision within thirty days. The court further directed that in the syndicate meeting both the registrar and controller of examination would not become a part of the meeting.

He also directed the HED secretary to sit in the syndicate meeting of the university to ensure good governance in the higher education institutions and dispose of the interconnected petitions.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2019