KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday restrained a search committee not to process the appointment of vice chancellor at Karachi University and issued notices to the authorities concerned on a petition filed against it.

The two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui observed that the appointment of vice chancellor may not be finalised till the verification of one of the petitioners’ credentials from federal Higher Education Commission (HEC).

The bench put the secretary of universities and boards department, the search committee and other respondents as well as the advocate general of Sindh and the deputy attorney general on notice for a date to be fixed after 10 days.

The petitioners, Prof Dr Mohammad Ahmed Qadri and Prof Dr Moonis Ahmar, who had applied for the post of VC, moved the SHC against the search committee and contended that the committee with mala fide intention issued a letter to one of the petitioners asking him to get his research publications verified from the HEC.

The lawyer for the petitioners, Abrar Hasan, argued that the authorities concerned had advertised the vacant post of vice chancellor in June 2019, but in October a corrigendum was issued in which the criteria relating to experience, research work and age was changed.

SHC seeks comments from officials over roads’ closure for cricket matches

However, he further submitted that the petitioners had challenged it and the SHC had struck down the corrigendum, thus a rift between the petitioners and the search committee had developed and now the search committee was allegedly attempting to single out Dr Qadri by issuing him a letter to get his 25 research publications verified.

The counsel contended that as individuals the petitioners would not be recognised by the HEC and it was the job of the search committee to satisfy itself by issuing a letter to the HEC to get such verifications.

When the bench inquired that once they had surrendered to the authority/research committee they could not challenge their authority, the lawyer rested his case to the extent of the letter of verification and also submitted that whatever be the reply of the HEC, the petitioners will not object to it.

Closure of roads around National Stadium

Another division bench on Thursday sought comments from the provincial home department and the deputy commissioner East on a petition against closure of roads around National Stadium Karachi for the purpose of international cricket matches.

When a two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar took up the petition for hearing, a superintendent of police (traffic) submitted a reply on behalf of DIG (traffic), who is impleaded as one of the respondents.

The bench directed an additional advocate general to submit comments of the home department and the DC East till Feb 17. It also asked the additional deputy commissioner East to be in attendance at the next hearing.

An organisation, Pasban, moved the SHC against the provincial and local administrations for blocking all roads around the National Stadium Karachi from Jan 26 to Jan 31 by sabotaging fundamental rights of citizens enshrined in the Constitution and creating grave hardships for the people.

The petitioner also expressed the apprehension that the respondents would also continue this practice during the upcoming matches of Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The petitioner pleaded to declare the blockade of these thoroughfares illegal and unconstitutional and sought direction for respondents to clear all such sealed roads for smooth movement of vehicular traffic.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2021