ISLAMABAD: The process for the appointment of the Skill University Islamabad’s vice chancellor has run into a new hiccup after the Islamabad High Court directed the additional attorney general to place the matter before the president for reconsideration of names.

In December last year, then-president Arif Alvi after stopping the appointment process asked the education ministry to restart the entire exercise to pick the VC. A search committee earlier selected a panel of three candidates. The university senate, however, pointed out that the process was conducted by the committee without the approved statutes. In the same meeting, the senate approved the statues before asking the ministry to form a new committee in accordance with the rules. In May this year, President Asif Ali Zardari approved a new four-member search committee to appoint the VC in line with the approved statutes.

Meanwhile, sources in the education ministry said that one of the candidates, Dr Muhammad Zakria Zakar, who was among the top three nominees, filed a court case.

On his petition, the Islamabad High Court last week directed the additional attorney general (AAG) to resubmit the previous summary (carrying names of shortlisted candidates) to President Zardari, for reconsideration in the light of applicable law, rules and regulations.

Process hits a snag after court orders ministry to place summary before president for reconsideration

The court order stated that AAG had not objected to the petitioner’s suggestion for sending the summary to the president for reconsideration; therefore, the AAG was directed to place the matter before the president.

“The learned AAG has not objected to this suggestion [of the petitioner]. However, the learned counsel for respondent number 2 [the university senate through its registrar] has vehemently objected to the same and submitted that the earlier process was in violation of the applicable rules… [and] there is no need for reconsideration by the respondent number 3 [president].”

The court disposed of the plea and asked the AAG “to place the matter” before the president. “This is a new legal battle. First, President Alvi rejected the previous summary. Afterwards, President Asif Ali Zardari approved a new search committee, but now the court has directed for resubmitting the previous summary of the selected panel, which was rejected by the university senate. Now, the IHC has directed us to resubmit the summary,” said an official of the education ministry.

The official said the meeting would meet on Wednesday to take stock of the court order and previous decisions of the president. “We will move forward in accordance with law, rules and regulations,” he said.

Another official said that the ministry should decide this matter as soon as possible.

“We have to decide whether to go to the court to file an appeal against the decision in question or the summary should be resubmitted as per the court order,” he said.

It may be mentioned that NSU Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Mukhtar completed his term in October 2023 but he was directed by the university senate to continue working till the appointment of the new VC.

The said university was established in 2018 through an act of parliament which upgraded the National Institute of Science and Technical Education.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2024