LAHORE: Following the removal orders of fours interim/acting vice chancellors of the Punjab University, Lahore College for Women University, University of Sargodha and Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology, Multan, selection of seven other VCs of different universities is being questioned.
These seven VCs were appointed in August 2015, under the VC Search Committee criteria adopted by the Punjab Higher Education Department (PHED), while this criteria/process has been suspended and termed ‘illegal’ by the Lahore High Court in a recent decision.
These seven universities include Government College University Lahore, Bahuddin Zakariya University Multan, Government Sadiq College Women University Bahawalpur, Ghazi University DG Khan, Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi, Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology Rahim Yar Khan and the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore.
However, after the suspension of process for vice chancellors’ appointment, the VCs of the abovementioned universities are likely to face trials as faculty members at these universities have decided to approach court regarding their appointment process.
Earlier, the court had declared the process of VCs’ appointment by the Higher Education Department illegal, and directed the HEC to devise criteria for every university and make search committees for all universities to fill the seats.
Now some faculty members and members of the Academic Staff Association at these seven universities have started questioning the appointment of seven VCs, who were appointed under the same procedure, which was declared illegal by the court.
An office-bearer of the Academic Staff Association at UET Lahore told Daily Times that they had decided to challenge appointment of their vice chancellor in the court as he was selected under the process, which was declared illegal by the court. “We are taking legal opinion on this issue, we will file a case soon,” he said.
Also, a faculty member belonging to Tanzeem-e-Asatza, the teacher wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, said they were preparing to approach the court against the vice chancellor.
It may be mentioned that an inter court appeal was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday, challenging the removal of vice chancellors of the Punjab University, Lahore College for Women University, University of Sargodha and Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology, Multan by the single bench.
Punjab Additional Advocate General Shan Gul had contended that these appointments were made under section 14 of the public sector universities amended act and there was no illegality in it. He stated that the VC office was purely an administrative post.
He stated that there was no legal bar to consult the Higher Education Commission (HEC) before making the appointments.
