KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Friday issued notices to the secretary of universities and boards department and other respondents on a petition challenging a move to change the selection criteria for appointment of vice chancellor at Karachi University.

The two-judge SHC bench headed by Justice Aziz-ur-Rehman put the respondents as well as the additional advocate general of Sindh on notice for Feb 3 and ruled that till then the parties must maintain status quo.

The petitioners Prof Dr Mohammad Ahmed Qadri and Prof Dr Moonis Ahmar moved the SHC and contended that the authorities concerned had advertised the vacant post of the vice chancellor in February, but in October a corrigendum was issued in which the criteria relating to experience, research work and age was changed.

While impleading the chief secretary, secretary of universities and boards and search committee as respondents, the petitioners further contended that they were also among the candidates, and the changes were made to give benefit to a few candidates and to seemingly exclude the petitioners.

The lawyer for the petitioners argued that the corrigendum was not only illegal but also in violation of Articles 4, 9 and 25 of the Constitution and pleaded to declare it null and void.

Petition about violation of one-way

Another division bench of the SHC on Friday issued notices to the provincial and police authorities on a petition against registration of FIRs on violation of one-way traffic rule.

The bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro asked the respondents, including the chief secretary, the home secretary, the provincial police officer and the DIG traffic to file comments till March 5.

The petition filed by the Pasban Democratic Party contended that police were arresting people on alleged violation of one-way and registering FIRs against them under Section 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) of the PPC and imposing fines.

It argued that not a single FIR was registered in any other part of the province except the provincial metropolis and maintained that the police and traffic police had encroached upon many roads/footpaths by constructing illegal posts while a number of thoroughfares were closed on the pretext of security protocol and without giving proper infrastructure and facility, the police could not register FIRs.

The petitioner was of the view that the respondents have misused Section 279 of the PPC as it was not applicable on violation of one-way rule and pleaded to restrain them from registering more FIRs and withdraw the pending cases.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2020