LAHORE: The LHC on Thursday rejected a reply of the Higher Education Commission for being vague and directed its chairman to apprise the court of its role in appointment of public sector universities’ vice chancellors with a clear point of view.

The reply submitted through an HEC director stated the commission had no power to appoint a vice chancellor; however, it had set guidelines for the provinces to be followed in the appointment process.

Terming the reply ambiguous, Justice Shahid Karim observed that the court wanted to know whether appointing VCs at the public sector universities was the job of the HEC or the provincial government. He adjourned hearing until April 4 and directed the HEC chairman to submit a clear reply on the matter.

Earlier, Advocate Saad Rasool completed his arguments on behalf of the petitioners, including Dr Asmatullah of the Zoology Department of the Punjab University. He said the powers to appoint the VCs solely rested with HEC. He asked the court to direct the government to appoint the VCs in accordance with the law, observing merit.

In this case, the court had already stayed appointment of the VCs at Punjab University, Lahore College for Women University, University of Sargodha and Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology Multan.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2016