PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench on Tuesday summoned the director and deputy director of the Institute of Management Sciences, a leading public, self-governing institution educational institution, for responding to the petition of a student against his rustication for allegedly posting material regarding unhygienic conditions of the institute’s cafeteria on social media.

Justice Qaiser Rasheed and Justice Mohammad Ayub Khan fixed July 19 (Wednesday) for hearing into the petition of Ateeb Ali, who claimed that several students had shared on social media (Facebook) the IMS cafeteria pictures showing an insect and hair in food.

They asked the IMS director and deputy director to appear in person along with their lawyer and explain their position.

Saifullah Muhib Kakakhel, lawyer for the petitioner, said his client was issued a show cause notice by the IMS management and on June 19, 2017, the relevant inquiry committee imposed several penalties on him, including rustication from the institute, Rs10,000 fine and tendering of a written apology on a stamp paper.

Action taken against student for ‘posting’ material about café’s unhygienic conditions on Facebook

He said the inquiry committee claimed that his client had shared baseless material on social media and damaged the institute’s reputation.

The lawyer requested the court to declare the order for his client’s rustication illegal and unconstitutional.

He also sought orders for the Peshawar deputy commissioner to act against the IMS cafeteria for serving unhygienic food to students.

Respondents in the petition are the IMS through its director, deputy director (head of inquiry committee) Dr Iftikharul Amin, IMS chief proctor Mian Yasir Hayat, coordinator (economics) and inquiry committee member Dr Attaur Rehman, BBA coordinator and inquiry committee member Dr Fahad Abdullah, social sciences coordinator Shandana Shoaib, IMS controller (examination) Ali Abbas Mirza, Career Development Centre manager Dinar Wali, Peshawar deputy commissioner, and Higher Education Commission chairman.

The lawyer said on May 12, an insect was found in the food of the cafeteria of IM Sciences and the students protested against the same on social media.

He claimed that the students had shared the post of Shahzad Haider Khan, which was re-shared by more than 127 students of the institute, including the petitioner.

The lawyer claimed that the official page of IMS also shared the same post on which more than 208 people and students commented.

He said the IMS administration, instead of taking action against the cafeteria staff members, served show cause notices on the students, including the petitioner, on May 16.

VC’S APPOINTMENT CHALLENGED: Ophthalmologist Prof Ziaul Islam has challenged the appointment of Prof Arshad Javed as the vice-chancellor of the Khyber Medical University saying the relevant law was violated by the relevant search committee while recommending names for the said post.

Prof Ziaul Islam, who had served on several key posts, including those of the Bacha Khan Medical College’s principal and Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar’s chief executive, has filed a petition against the search committee for not calling him for interview.

In the petition, Prof Ziaul Islam said he was more qualified and experienced than others candidates and topped the list of candidates.

He added that had he been called for the interview, he would have been the first priority for the post of the KMU VC.

The petitioner said the search committee had not followed the provisions of the KP Universities Act 2012 and had instead set up its own criteria, which was contrary to the law.

He requested the court to declare the selection process illegal and order the establishment of a new transparent and unbiased committee for re-initiating the process of the VC’s appointment.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2017