November 8, 2003	Saturday	Ramazan 12, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 7: The Federal Shariat Court on Friday issued notices to all advocate-generals to explain the provincial government’s view on the public sector universities’ charters which give sweeping powers to vice chancellors.

A full bench of Federal Shariat Court headed by Chief Justice Ijaz Yousaf, issued notices to all advocate-generals on a petition of Dr Aslam Khaki.

The petitioner has challenged sections about powers of the syndicate of Qauid-i-Azam University, University of Punjab, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore; Bahauddin Zikria University, University of Agriculture, Faislabad; Gomal University, University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, Islamic University of Bahawalpur and University of Peshawar.

“Under the challenged sections, the vice chancellor is a judge in his own case,” the petitioner said.

He further said that the Vice chancellor, after passing an order against any university employee, “presides over the university syndicate to review the appeal against his own decision.”

He said the government servants had the right to appeal to a judicial forum like the Federal Service Tribunal while the university employees had no right of appeal to any judicial forum, hence it was discriminatory and against the provisions of Islam.