KARACHI: The Sindh government on Monday removed almost a dozen pro-vice chancellors of different public universities, most of them with immediate effect, sources and official documents said.

Many believe the move is in line with the Supreme Court orders declaring that no appointment of retired officers would be made in the same or other departments and denied extension to former personnel of the respective institutions.

The universities and boards department of the Sindh government issued 11 notifications withdrawing appointment of as many pro-vice chancellors of University of Sindh, Dow University of Health Sciences, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, University of Engineering and Technology, Peoples University of Medical and Health Science for Women and their campuses.

An official said that most of the notifications had used the term “with immediate effect” and only two would become effective in March and May. He said the Supreme Court while giving verdict on a petition had declared that no retired officer of any department could be rehired in the same or other departments and no extension would be given to retired officers. Following the same orders, he said, numerous officials of different departments and institutions serving after retirement were removed from service. More than 60 people associated with higher educational institutions met the same fate, he added.

No immediate plan to replace the outgoing officials announced

Those whose services as pro-vice chancellors would come to an end in March and May 2020 include Dr Imdad Ali Ismail of the Mirpurkhas campus of the University of Sindh and Dr Mohammad Moazzam Baloch of the Khairpur campus of the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology.

The pro-vice chancellors removed immediately include Dr Kartar Dawani, Dr Zarna Wahid and Dr Khawar Saeed Jamali of the Dow University of Health Sciences, Dr Pir Roshan Din Shah Rashdi of the Dawood University of Engineering and Technology, Dr Aslam Pervez Memon, University of Sindh (Naushahro Feroz campus), Dr Muneer Ahmed Junejo of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (Jamshoro campus), Dr Lubna Ansari, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Dr Farman Ali Shah, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, (Jacobabad campus) and Dr Shamsuddin Sheikh of the Peoples University of Medical and Health Science for Women, Shaheed Benazirabad.

No replacement plan yet

About new hiring to replace the outgoing pro-vice chancellors of public universities, he said no government plan had emerged so far in that regard but due process would be followed for all key appointments.

The Sindh government in 2018 passed the Sindh Universities and Institutes Law Amendment Bill 2018 with a majority of votes. Under the bill, the laws of 23 public sector universities and two institutions were amended that declared governor as chancellor of the universities and chief minister the controlling authority of all educational institutions. Under the law, the chief minister will also enjoy the authority to appoint vice chancellors and pro-vice chancellors while admission policy is also put under government control.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2020