Court rejects HEC reply

LAHORE

The Lahore High Court Thursday rejected reply of Higher Education Commission of Pakistan for being vague and directed its chairman to apprise about its role in appointment of public sector university’s vice chancellors with a clear point of view. 

The reply submitted through a director of the HEC stated that the commission had no power to appoint a vice chancellor, however, it set guidelines for provinces to be followed in the appointment process. Terming the reply a blurred one, Justice Shahid Karim observed that the court wanted to know whether appointing VCs at the public sector universities was the job of the HEC or the provincial government. The judge adjourned further hearing till April 4 and directed the HEC chairman to submit a clear reply on the matter. Earlier, Advocate Saad Rasool completed his arguments on behalf of the petitioners including Dr Asmatullah of Zoology Department at Punjab University. The counsel said the powers to appoint the VCs solely rested with Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. He asked the court to direct the government to appoint the VCs in accordance with the law and observe merit.  The court had already stayed the process for the impugned appointments. The varsities include Punjab University, Lahore College for Women University, University of Sargodha and Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology Multan.