LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has restrained the Punjab government from finalising the appointment of vice chancellors (VCs) in three public universities.

Justice Anwaar Hussain issued the stay order on a petition filed by Prof Dr Muhammad Ilyas Tariq, who is also a candidate, questioned the appointment process of VCs of the University of Sahiwal, University of Sargodha and Emerson University of Multan.

Petitioner’s counsel Malik Awais Khalid argued the government had not followed SOPs regarding the appointment to the posts as envisaged in a government’s notification issued in light of a direction by the LHC.

He pointed out that the government was supposed to form a separate search committee for the appointment of the VCs in each university. However, he said, a single search committee formed by the government had been carrying out the appointment process for all three universities.

He also questioned the composition of the search committee, saying no member from civil society, the business community, industry, judiciary or ex-civil servant had been made part of it as envisaged in the SOPs notified by the government.

The counsel argued the office of the chairman of the Higher Education Commission was lying vacant and in the absence of a regular incumbent, the search committee could not be fully operational.

He asked the court to set aside the impugned process for the appointment and order the government to constitute separate search committees for each university and that too comprising independent and qualified members. Restraining the respondents from finalising the appointment process, Justice Hussain directed a law officer to submit replies on behalf of the respondents by March 22.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2022