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LHC suspends KEMU acting VC’s appointment

By our correspondents
June 23, 2017

LAHORE

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday temporarily barred Prof Dr Asad Aslam from working as acting vice-chancellor of King Edward Medical University (KEMU).

Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah suspended Dr Asad Aslam’s appointment as acting vice-chancellor and directed KEMU Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Qazi Tariq to look after the affairs. 

The court issued this order while hearing a petition filed by Iftikhar Ahmed against Dr Asad Aslam's appointment as KEMU acting vice-chancellor.

The petitioner's counsel Rana Afzal argued that Prof Dr Asad Aslam was working as chief executive of Mayo Hospital as well as KEMU acting vice chancellor. He pointed out that his appointment as KEMU acting VC was made in violation of KEMU Act, as the law did not permit appointment of an acting vice-chancellor. Only pro vice-chancellor was empowered to look after the affairs in absence of vice-chancellor. He pleaded the court to set aside the appointment of Dr Asad Aslam as acting vice-chancellor.

The counsel further submitted that under hospital rules, there was no slot of chief executive. But, despite the fact, the respondent was appointed as chief executive of Mayo Hospital, he added. He pleaded the court to ask the respondent to explain his position that under what authority he was working as chief executive.

He further argued that the respondent was also working as KEMU acting vice-chancellor and recently an MoU had been signed through which the control of hospital laboratories was being shifted to KEMU Pathology Department. He questioned why the control of the laboratories was being shifted to KEMU despite providing facilities to four million patients annually. The court after recording initial arguments sought reply from respondents and stopped the acting vice-chancellor from work.