Illegal appointments: LHC orders making appointees party in case

LAHORE:The Lahore High Court Thursday ordered making all three recently appointed professors of the Punjab University School of Communication Studies as party (respondents) while hearing the case of alleged out of merit postings in BS 21 through foreign referees of candidates’ own choice.

LHC Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi asked advocate Safdar Shaheen Pirzada to make the appointed candidates a party in the case on the request of counsel for the PU Advocate Awais Khalid on technical grounds. Earlier, Chancellor/Governor Punjab, VC, Registrar and Selection Board (through chairman) were respondents in the case. Now the newly-appointed professors including Savera, Lubna Zaheer and Mian Hanan Ahmad will also be made respondents in the case. Giving arguments, petitioner’s counsel Pirzada said the case is based on conflict of interest as the candidates have been appointed on the basis of political influence and nepotism in sheer violation of merit. He said due to such illegal appointments, the university’s ranking is not improving and standard of the degree is considered low worldwide.

The petition was filed by Associate Professor Dr Shabbir Sarwar. The petition alleged that the candidates Savera, Dr Mian Hanan Ahmad, real brother of SCS Director Dr Noshina Saleem, and Dr Lubna Zaheer have been appointed as professors in BPS 21 in violation of rules and regulations. According to the petition, there is a serious violation of rules in the process - from the advertisement to the issuance of appointment notification. Only four working days were given to submit applications for the post of Professor of Communication Studies after corrigendum advertisement to minimise competition while the varsity gives 60 days to apply for the post of professor as per its years-old practice and regulations.