HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit, on Friday directed the Sindh University administration to make sure that competitive process for filling all vacant statutory / administrative posts, including those of registrar, controller examinations and faculty dean, is completed within 60 days strictly in accordance with the University Act, Statutes and Rules.

Comprising Justice Adnanul Karim Memon and Justice Riazat Ali Sahar, the bench also ordered that no faculty member / PhD holder should be appointed, posted or allowed to continue on non-teaching administrative posts whether on additional charge, look-after basis, own pay scale (OPS) or any other arrangement contrary to the law laid down by the Supreme Court. “Any such existing arrangements shall stand discontinued. In the intervening period the VC shall endeavor to assign charges to most senior officers of the administrative cadre of University in terms of ratio of judgement of the SC,” it said.

The order was written by Justice Adnanul Karim Memon after the bench heard the matter on Dec 9 while taking up petition of Syed Sajjad Hussain Shah and Ali Ahmed Talpur Bagrani. The order was released on Friday. Petitioners prayed the court to direct respondents, the VC and registrar of the SU, to remove respondents 7 to 40 (faculty members/ PhD holders) posted on administrative posts in violation of the SC verdict. The petitioners were represented by Ayaz Hussain Tunio while Unaib Kamal represented the registrar K.B. Leghari appeared on behalf of the private respondents.

Directs varsity admin to fill vacancies on merit within 60 days

They said the court should direct the respondents that additional charges, assigned to work charge, administrative charges (budgetary and non-budgetary posts) and experience of faculty members may not be counted for the post of VC and pro-VC on administrative posts.

The petitioners urged the court to direct the respondents not to take any adverse/ coercive action against the petitioners as they have raised their voice against favouritism and nepotism. They also sought a relief for constitution of a selection board for promotions of all general cadre and ex-cadre officers from BS-17 and above as per their seniority from the due date.

The petitioners sought issuance of writs of mandamus under Article 199(I)(a)(i), prohibition under Article 191(I)(a)(ii). Petitioner Sajjad Ahmed Shah has served the SU for almost 13 years at various positions and was working as press manager while Ali Ahmed Bagrani served for nearly 40 years in different departments and is presently posted as assistant controller (semester) and he has been serving in BS-17 for the last 13 years without receiving any promotion as administrative positions are occupied by faculty members/ PhD holders (respondents 7 to 40).

The court noted in its order that the SC has clearly held that administrative posts must be filled from administrative cadre through a transparent competitive process and that stopgap, OPS or out of cadre postings could not continue indefinitely. These directives, binding under Article 189 of the Constitution, were reaffirmed in contempt proceedings against the chief secretary Sindh.

The court said that in allowing the petition, the SC had ordered the varsities to fill administrative positions strictly under the recruitment rules, prohibited all stopgap and out of cadre postings and directed the syndicate to decide petitioners’ claims on merit within 30 days after due hearing, ensuring full compliance with the SC verdicts.

It said that despite repeated judicial pronouncements and government notifications, the SU continued assigning administrative responsibilities to teaching faculty on temporary arrangements, which constitutes noncompliance with the binding obligations imposed by law and judicial precedent.

While disposing of the petition and issuing directives for the SU, the court said that compliance report shall be submitted to the additional registrar of this court within the stipulated period.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2025