ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to challenge in the Supreme Court a judgement of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) restoring Chairman of the Higher Education Commission Dr Tariq Javed Banuri to his post.

“On consideration of the facts of the case, it has been decided to file and conduct CPLA on behalf of federation before the Supreme Court of Pakistan. You are nominated to act as Advocate-on-Record,” read a Law and Justice Division’s letter addressed to Anis Muhammad Shahzad, Advocate-on-Record.

The letter issued on January 28 further stated: “Mr Aamir Rehman, Additional Attorney General, Islamabad, is nominated to represent the Federation of Pakistan before the Supreme Court.”

Earlier on January 18, a division bench of the Islamabad High Court had reinstated Dr Tariq Javed Banuri as chairman of the Higher Education Commission.

Dr Banuri was appointed as the HEC chairman in 2018 on a four-year term, but was removed from the post in March 2021 on the basis of amendments to the Higher Education Commission Ordinance 2002 through a presidential ordinance that reduced the chairman’s tenure from four years to two years.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2022