KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed Karachi University to convene a meeting of its syndicate within three days to implement an earlier court order about appointment of lecturers to the mass communication department.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan directed the KU to file a compliance report till Jan 5 and warned that in case of non-compliance, an appropriate action would be taken against the contemnors.

Rizwan Tahir and three others, through their counsel Asim Iqbal, filed an application seeking contempt proceedings against the KU vice chancellor and the registrar for defying an earlier order of the SHC.

The lawyer submitted that the petitioners had applied for the post of lecturers (BPS-18) and passed written tests and interviews as well as the NTS exam with flying colours and the selection board in its meeting held in May 2019 had recommended them for the posts.

Bench warns varsity administration of action if order on contempt plea not complied with

However, he argued that the appointment letters were not issued and the petitioners had approached the high court. In May, the SHC had declared that the impugned decision of the KU syndicate had no legal effect and directed it to take a fresh decision in respect of majority decision of selection board in 15 days.

The bench in its order noted that the SHC’s order was challenged by the KU administration before the Supreme Court and the apex court on Nov 10 had also directed the KU to give effect to the order of the SHC while an undertaking was also given before the top court that the syndicate would comply with the court orders.

On Wednesday, the lawyer for the KU filed a statement before the SHC along with deliberations made in the special meeting of the syndicate held on Dec 17 in the light of the order of the apex court to decide the issue in question.

However, the counsel for the petitioners argued that despite giving undertaking before the apex court as well as the order of SHC, the contemnors had yet to make compliance.

The bench noted that as per the record produced by the university, deliberations had taken place without making reference to the order of the SHC and instead the syndicate had given direction that selection board should be reconvened to consider the cases of petitioners afresh.

It further said that apparently, no stone was left unturned in denying relief to the petitioners, which clearly amounted to contempt of court.

“The respondent being educational institution, as a matter of grace, we are giving three days’ time for respondent/Karachi University to convene a fresh meeting of the syndicate to give effect to the order of this court dated 13.5.2022 in letter and spirit and uphold the decision of the selection board as directed through the order of this court dated 13.5.2022 and file compliance report in the first week of January,” the bench in its order concluded.

Earlier on Dec 17, the KU held a special meeting of its syndicate had decided that all candidates aspiring for the posts of lecturer and assistant professor reappear before the selection board.

However, four syndicate members — Dr Mohsin Ali, Prof Haris Shoaib, Ateeq Razzak and Dr M. Hassan Khan — submitted a note of dissent wherein they urged the university authorities to implement the SHC order.

It was also pointed out during Saturday’s syndicate meeting that the three-member committee set up in the last syndicate meeting included a member whose brother was among the candidates rejected in the 2019 selection board.

It’s important to mention here that the 2019 selection board of the department of mass communication ran into a controversy following the death of KU’s vice chancellor. The university declared it null and void which was later challenged by some candidates who appeared in the selection board.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2022