KARACHI, July 16: The Sindh High Court disposed of on Tuesday a petition of the University of Karachi with the direction to the university authorities not to interfere in lawful activities of the defendants, who were also advised not to issue press statements maligning the petitioner.
Justice Moosa K. Leghari passed the order when the petition of Karachi University, apprehending that the defendants “may proceed on strike and may boycott the forthcoming examinations,” came up.
Nadeem Azhar Siddiqui, advocate, representing the plaintiff, had alleged that the defendant No 1, the Karachi University Teachers Society, had decided to launch a protest movement against the University administration.
After hearing the parties at length, Justice Leghari noted in his order that it had been affirmed in the counter-affidavit and before him by defendants Sarwar Naseem, the General-Secretary of KUTS, Adeel Siddiqui, the General Secretary of the Karachi University Officers Welfare Association, and Jalees Ahmed Qazi, the General Secretary of the Karachi University Employees Welfare Association, that they had neither violated the law in the past nor they intended to do so in the future.
They specifically asserted and undertook that they neither gave a call for strike nor they had any intention to boycott the forthcoming examinations of the university, as alleged by the petitioner.
The three defendants also stated that they would not conduct any procession or rally. They would however not be prohibited from holding academic discussions and holding meetings of the office-bearers of their respective organizations in the lawful manner, concerning the welfare of their members, and they would also not indulge in any agitational activity, the order said.
The defendants also undertook that there would be no interference in the administrative affairs of the University by their organizations.
Similarly, the administrative authorities of the University should also act in accordance with the law and would restrain their officers from involving themselves and interfering in lawful activities of the defendants. Henceforth no press statement maligning the University authorities would be issued by any of the office-bearers of the defendants, the order said.
During the hearing, Sarwar Nasim, the General Secretary of KUTS, specifically denied that he had submitted any charter of demand. Justice Leghari wrote that the same should be deemed to be a fake document, warranting no action.
The three defendants requested for arranging their meeting with the vice chancellor in order to place their grievances before him. The counsel for the petitioner, Nadeem Azhar, undertook to arrange such a meeting the next week after consulting the vice chancellor.
Justice Leghari directed both the parties to make every endeavour to shun the sense of mistrust created between them and take concrete steps to promote a congenial atmosphere, conducive to academic activities.
The counsel for the plaintiff submitted that if the defendant No 1 was not restrained, the plaintiff would suffer loss due to boycott of classes as proposed by the defendant No 1.
It was the contention of the plaintiff that the defendants’ actions were in violation of the Civil Servants Conduct Rules.
Defendants, represented by Nehal Hashmi, advocate, assisted by Obaid Hamza, had maintained that the KU employees were governed by the University code and as such not by the Sindh Civil Servants Conduct Rules, 1973, which had not been adopted by the University Syndicate.