Universities being systematically destroyed: SC

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa Wednesday remarked that universities were the future of Pakistan but they were being destroyed systematically.

A three-member bench of the apex court — headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa — heard a petition against the non-appointment of permanent vice chancellors in government universities.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) submitted a report on the public universities across the country.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the incomplete report, the court sought the progress report within a month on the appointment of permanent vice chancellors in the public sector universities besides seeking the ratio of academic and non-academic staff there.

The court also sought complete details of vacant posts of controller examinations as well as director finance of the universities besides seeking details of the budget.

As per report, there are 154 universities across Pakistan in the public sector; in 66 universities either additional charge of vice chancellor has been given or posts are vacant.

The report further stated that of the 29 universities in the federal capital, 24 had permanent vice-chancellors while five posts were vacant.

Similarly, the court was informed that out of 10 universities of Balochistan, five had appointed vice chancellors while five had acting VCs.

Likewise, of the 32 government universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 10 have permanent vice chancellors, 16 have additional charge while six posts were vacant.

The report further stated that out of 49 public universities of Punjab, 20 had permanent and 29 acting VCs. Also, out of 29 government universities of Sindh, 24 had permanent VCs and five had additional charge.

During the hearing, the chief justice observed that some people were destroying schools and saying they were serving Islam and governments then negotiate with them.

Additional advocate general Sindh appeared to be unaware of Rule 27A related to judicial assistance and said no notice had been issued to them. The chief justice, however, said notice was issued for the assistance of court and not as a party.

“From where you got the law degree. Have you pursued any case?” the CJP asked the additional advocate general Sindh who replied that he had got the law degree from Lahore and had also practiced law in Karachi and served as assistant attorney general for four years.

Meanwhile, the law officer representing the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government informed the court that three names for each university had been sent to the governor, but they had not been made public. At this, the chief justice asked the law officer what their enmity with the people was as the names were being hidden. “Would this be a violation of nuclear codes or Official Secrets Act?” the CJP asked saying they took their salary from the people’s taxes and hid information from them.

“It is kept secret to accommodate one’s own servants everywhere. Perhaps, a relative of an MPA has to be posted to the post,” the CJP said, adding that the whole country will be fine if the education sector was streamlined.

Umer Ejaz Gilani, counsel for the petitioner, told the court that extra staff was available in most of the universities adding that the national flag carrier PIA had made recruitments beyond its requirement and today the result was in front of all. The chief justice said the universities were also being destroyed like the PIA adding that unfortunately every wrongdoing was being made with the complicity of bureaucracy. Later, the court adjourned the hearing for date-in-office.