KARACHI, Aug 20: The Supreme Court on Wednesday suspended the operation of a Sindh High Court order reinstating a former director-general of the Karachi University’s Institute of Biotechnology, Genetics and Engineering (Kibge) and declared that the incumbent DG would continue to hold the office pending hearing of his appeal.

Separate petitions for leave to appeal against the Sindh High Court division bench judgment of Aug 8 were moved by the university and Kibge director-general Prof Dr Irtifaq Ali.

The impugned judgment had allowed a petition moved by former DG Dr Qasim Mehdi and ordered his reinstatement.

The university submitted through advocates Mohammad Tasnim and Asif Mukhtar that the petition was not maintainable in the high court in view of the terms and conditions of service while the incumbent DG said he was neither issued a notice nor heard. The SHC bench not only proceeded to adjudicate the petition but also passed an adverse order, effectively relieving the DG of his job without hearing him, they argued.

Admitting the two petitions to regular hearing, a Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Mohammad Moosa K. Leghari, Justice Zia Pervez and Justice Zawwar Hussain Jaffery, suspended the impugned order and issued notices to the respondents.