ISLAMABAD: The registrar of Comsats University on Tuesday informed Islamabad High Court (IHC) that the interim setup running the affairs of the university would be replaced within a month.In response to a petition filed against a strike call given by the faculty members, Registrar Dr Fahim Ashraf Qureshi gave an undertaking before IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah that the “interim setup will be replaced by establishing bodies provided under the Comsats University Islamabad Act 2018.”

He said the provision of the act would be implemented within 30 days.

Subsequently, the court adjourned the hearing to February 3.

The court also directed the university management to submit a detailed report explaining why an interim set-up had been allowed to continue since 2017.

On Monday, the court had directed the secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the rector “to nominate their respective authorised representatives to appear before this Court and explain the measures taken to ensure that the academic and examination schedules are not disrupted.”

Besides, the court had also directed them to explain what action had been taken against representatives of Academic Staff Association and “the instigators for threatening to illegally disrupt the academic and examination schedules.”

Academic Staff Association of Comsats last week held a protest on the campus and announced that from Monday they would boycott classes against the interim set-up and its policies.

However, the association on Tuesday informed the IHC that the strike had been called off.

Comsats University has been facing administrative issues for the last few years as it is being run under an ad hoc set-up with the acting rector, registrar and other officials.

The court in an earlier order had noted that it was the obligation of the university administration to take appropriate measures against any employee found engaged in illegal activities or unauthorised trade unionism.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2020