LAHORE, April 8: The Punjab University Syndicate on Saturday approved vice-chancellor’s anticipatory orders, which were not approved by the March 2 meeting, using “ex post facto”.

A legal dictionary defines “ex post facto” as a Latin adjective, “which refers to laws adopted after an act is committed making it illegal although it was legal when done”.

Neither the PU registrar who is secretary to the syndicate nor the public relations director explained how the ex post facto was used to approve VC’s anticipatory orders although they were sent text messages on Saturday.

Lawyer Azhar Siddique told Dawn that the approval given by the Syndicate on the basis of ex post facto was based on misinterpretation of the law and ultra vires the parent Act. He said the syndicate was an authority created under the Act and could not go beyond the jurisdiction given by the statute that was only 45 days as prescribed by the Act. Any act beyond this time limit was without jurisdiction and void ab-initio.

“If the Syndicate is interested in removing this lacuna, an amendment to the Act is needed,” he explained.

The PU Syndicate meeting chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran granted “ex post facto approval of various anticipatory orders passed by the VC that could not be placed before the Syndicate for approval within a stipulated period of 45 days”.

A Syndicate member said approving anticipatory orders using ex post facto would become a precedent for other universities as well and there was a need to act according to the law.

The Syndicate also approved VC’s fresh 46 anticipatory orders issued from February 27 to March 29 -- during the legal time limit of 45 days.

According to sources, the Syndicate was presented selection board’s two recommendations for approval. The Syndicate did not approve the recommendation with regard to the appointment of Sayyid Salman Rizvi as associate professor of economics under BS/TTS to the Hailey College of Commerce. The Syndicate referred back selection board’s recommendations owing to a presentation made by PU economics department’s Dr Mumtaz Anwar.

The Syndicate approved selection board’s other recommendation with regard to the appointment of Dr Shagufta Begum as associate professor of philosophy.Sources said the Syndicate deferred a case of “delegation of powers to sub-committees for appointment to teaching/research posts on a contract basis; for award of PhD degrees; and grant of affiliation to colleges”.

Sources said the Syndicate approved nomination of Fatima Jinnah Medical College’s associate professor Khalid Javed Khan as member of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.

The vice-chancellor informed the Syndicate that Public Relations Director Israr Rana had been appointed against a lump sum pay and not to a BPS-19 post. On presentation of a corruption case filed by the university public relations officer, the VC assured the Syndicate that he would constitute an inquiry.

The PU syndicate is going to meet after two weeks to take up deferred cases, it is learnt.