PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court’s Mingora bench on Thursday suspended an order of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman sending the vice-chancellor of the University of Swat, Prof Dr Mohammad Aimal Khan, on forced leave.

A bench consisting of Justice Laal Jan Khattak and Justice Syed Arshad Ali suspended the notification issued by the governor, who is also chancellor of public sector universities in the province, in this regard last week. It ordered the suspension of the notification until the final decision of the petition.

The petitioner contended that the entire exercise of holding the so-called inquiry into his university’s affairs was tainted with mala fide.

He said under the KP University Act, 2012, the governor’s inspection team could not undertake any inquiry into the affairs of any university.

The council for the petitioner contented in the court that it was the second time in the last six months that his client was ordered to leave the office by the governor.

The notification issued on Wednesday stated: “The governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/chancellor has been pleased to send the vice-chancellor, University of Swat, on forced leave for the remaining period of his tenure i.e. 18-12-2021 with immediate effect.”

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2021