PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench on Tuesday granted bail to chairman of Islamia College University’s Department of Physics Dr Naeem Khalid arrested by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission on the charge of committing illegalities during the appointments to the university and procurements of equipment.

Justice Nisar Hussain and Justice Lal Jan Khattak issued the order on a petition jointly filed by Dr Naeem Khalid and wife Dr Shazia Naeem, asking the suspect to furnish two surety bonds valuing Rs5 million each.

The bench also confirmed the pre-arrest bail of former ICU vice-chancellor Mohammad Ajmal Khan in the case on condition of furnishing two surety bonds valuing Rs5 million each.

Lawyers Qazi Jawad Ahsanullah Qureshi and Barrister Waqar Ahmad appeared for Dr Naeem in the case and Azhar Yousaf for Ajmal Khan.

Dr Naeem, a noted physicist, who had done his doctorate from the University of Cambridge, was arrested by the KPEC on Nov 3 on the multiple charges of committing irregularities during the procurement of equipment, including computers, as well as appointments to the university.

PHC also confirms pre-arrest bail of ex-VC Ajmal Khan

His lawyers termed the allegations baseless and insisted the National Accountability Bureau and governor’s inspection team have already cleared their client after conducting inquiries into the charges.

They said the governor’s inspection team had even mentioned in its report that a ‘mafia’ was operating in the university to malign Dr Naeem and wife Dr Shazia, an associate professor in the same department, by lodging baseless allegations against them with different forums.

Qazi Jawad said both Dr Naeem and Dr Shazia were highly qualified and after doing PhD, they worked in the University of Cambridge (Cavendish Laboratory) as post-doctorate and returned afterwards to serve the country.

He said his client was neither the university’s procurement authority nor appointing authority.

“Initially, the NAB had begun inquiry into allegations against Dr Naeem but later on, the inquiry was closed due to lack of evidence. Afterward, the governor’s inspection team also cleared him of those charges,” he said.

The lawyer said Dr Naeem was not the procurement authority and that he was only a technical member, whose job was to give his technical advice on different items.

He added that while the KPEC claimed that the atomic force machine purchased by the university was out of order, it was not based on fact as technical experts had examined it and found it to be functional.

Qazi Jawad said all procured equipment, including computers, were available during the two inquiries first conducted by the NAB and second by the governor’s inspection team.

He said the KPEC had alleged that his client had shown nepotism during appointment of deputy registrar Ghayur Mohammad but the truth was that the person in question hadn’t been appointed to the university and that he had gone abroad for higher studies.

The lawyer said his client was the head of the university’s quality enhancement board and that his prime task was to evaluate degrees of candidates with the help of the Higher Education Commission.

Azhar Yousaf, lawyer for Ajmal Khan, said his client was a highly respectable administrator, who had served on different posts of the University of Peshawar and retired as the ICU vice-chancellor.

He said the allegations levelled by the KPEC against the petitioner were frivolous as they’d already been probed by the NAB.

The lawyer said some charges against his client had no nexus with him as at that time, he had been kidnapped by militants before remaining in their captivity for many years.

A KPEC deputy prosecutor general said his organisation had evidence of the involvement of both petitioners in the misuse of authority and corrupt practices.

He said the KPEC’s inquiry was different from the NAB’s as it traced a ghost bank account in a private bank operated by the petitioners.

Meanwhile, the bench also disposed of two petitions filed by director of the university’s student affairs Prof Sikandar Khan and provost Syed Kamal to seek orders for the cancellation of the KPEC’s ‘call-up’ notices for them in connection with another inquiry related to the university.

It directed the commission to act strictly in accordance with the law and not to take any adverse action against the petitioners unless the allegations were probed.

Azhar Yousaf, lawyer for petitioners, feared if his clients visited the KPEC premises, they would be arrested.

He added that Dr Naeem was arrested when he appeared the relevant KPEC offices after receiving a ‘call-up’ notice.

Published in Dawn December 14th, 2016