KARACHI: A retired professor is continuing to serve as the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Pro-VC) of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro, despite clear legal restrictions and a Supreme Court ruling barring such appointments.According to official documents, Professor Dr Seema Naz, who retired on April 17, 2025, remains in office as Pro-VC of LUMHS. She was initially appointed to the position on August 30, 2024, for a four-year term. However, under the Sindh Universities and Institutes Laws and a 2013 Supreme Court decision, she was supposed to have relinquished the position upon her retirement.
As per the Sindh Universities Laws (Amendment) Act 2013, Section 13, only serving university professors are eligible to be appointed as Pro-VCs. The Act states: “The Pro-Vice Chancellor shall be an eminent academic and a distinguished medical professional appointed by the Chief Minister from amongst the university professors.”
In addition, the Supreme Court’s verdict in original petitions No. 89/2011 and 175/2011, and civil review petition No. 193/2013, categorically prohibits the rehiring or continued service of retired officials in any department. The apex court’s ruling led to the removal of nearly 2,000 such officials across various departments in Sindh, including 69 university staff members ranging from professors to lower-grade officers.
In compliance with the ruling of the Supreme Court and the Sindh Universities Laws (Amendment) Act 2013, several retired Pro-VCs in Sindh had previously been removed. For instance, in May 2022, Professor Dr Ghulam Sarwar Gachal was removed from his post as Pro-VC of the Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Sindh University campus upon reaching the age of retirement.
Similarly, in January 2020, eight retired professors were relieved of their Pro-VC duties at various institutions across the province on the directives of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. These removals were in line with both the amended university laws and the Supreme Court ruling.
The list included Dr Muneer Ahmed Junejo of LUMHS, Jamshoro; Dr Aslam Parvez Memon of Sindh University, Naushero-Feroze campus; Dr Khawar Jamali of Dow University of Health Sciences; Dr Zaarnaz Wahid of Dow University, Karachi; Dr Kartar Dewani of Dow University, Karachi; Dr Shamsdin Shiekh of People’s University, Shaheed Benazirabad; Dr Lubna Ansari of Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi and Dr Roshan din Rashidi of Dawood Engineering University, Karachi.
Senior educationist Prof Yaqoob Chandio has described Prof Naz’s continued tenure as illegal and in direct defiance of the apex court ruling.
“If the Supreme Court has explicitly ruled that no retired official may be rehired or continue in office, then any such continuation—particularly in high offices such as Pro-VC—is not only a violation of the law but also sets a dangerous precedent,” Chandio said.
Despite these legal constraints and precedents, no notification has been issued for the formal retirement or removal of Prof Naz from her Pro-VC position. She currently remains the only retired professor in Sindh continuing to serve in such a role.
When contacted, Vice-Chancellor of the LUMHS, Jamshoro Dr Ikram Ujan briefly told The News that as per his opinion Prof Naz’s continuation as Pro-VC was legal and as per laws. “The position of Pro-VC is a tenure post which cannot be affected by retirement,” he added.
Prof Dr Seema Naz also defended her posting while commenting on the issue. She believed as per her Pro-vice-chancellorship notification she must continue for four years and her retirement from job has nothing to do with her current posting. Dr Naz claimed that there were many precedents of the continuation of service as Pro-VC despite retirement of the professors.
Spokesman of the Chief Minister Sindh Abdul Rasheed Channa told The News that the issue of continuation of Dr Naz’s job as Pro-VC would be checked in the light of the relevant Act and apex court’s verdict and action would be taken as per law.
Channa said the Sindh government and the chief minister strictly believed in transparency and rule of law and no person would be allowed to hold any position in contradiction of law.