Appointment of VCs: PHC declares govt’s move to re-initiate process null and void

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Saturday declared null and void the provincial government’s move wherein it had re-initiated the process for the appointment of the vice-chancellors of 19 public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Releasing the detailed verdict on a petition filed against the government’s move to re-initiate the process for the appointment of the vice-chancellors of public sector universities in the province.

A group of academicians had filed the petition before the Peshawar High Court.

The petitioners had claimed that the caretaker provincial government had approved their names for the appointment as vice-chancellors on the recommendation of the academic search committee, but the incumbent provincial government had re-advertised the positions instead of forwarding their names to the governor, who was the chancellor of the public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The judgement was written by Justice Ejaz Anwar.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel, Deputy Attorney General Sanaullah, lawyers for the petitioners Amir Javed, Mubashir Manzoor, Tariq Afridi, Saifullah Mohib Kakakhel and others appeared before the court.

According to the verdict, around 24 universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were functioning without vice-chancellors. The court declared null and void the restarting of the process for recruitment of the vice-chancellors by the provincial government as null and void.

The court ordered the academic search committee to send its recommendations to the chief minister for approval. In 2022, the elected government had started the process for the recruitment of the vice-chancellors and the academic search committee had finalized the names in February 2022.

The judgement said that some members of the committee tendered resignation when the interview dates were repeatedly changed during the tenure of the caretaker government.

The holding of the interviews was repeatedly delayed due to the unprofessional attitude of the caretaker government, it added.

The judgement said that though the Election Act stopped the caretaker government from interfering in the policy matters, it allowed the interim setup to run the day-to-day affairs.