PHC restrains probe body from passing order against AWKU officials

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday restrained the departmental inquiry committee from passing a final order against officials of the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan in illegal appointments case.

A division bench comprising Justice Ikramullah Khan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim stopped the members of a departmental inquiry committee of the university from issuing a final decision against the university’s officials (petitioners) in illegal appointments case till next order of the court. The bench issued a notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and registrar of the university, directing them to submit comments on the petition.

The petition was filed by officers of the university including additional controller of examination, Arshur Rehman, deputy provost Ibrar Hussain and deputy registrar Asfandyar. During arguments, the lawyers submitted that the university in 2015 and 2016 started an inquiry over the illegal appointments from grade-7 to grade-16 in the university. They submitted that when illegal appointments were proved in the inquiry then the department also started departmental inquiry against the officials including the petitioners. The lawyers submitted that the NAB has also started an inquiry in the case of the illegal appointments.

However, they said the appointments were made in the tenure of former vice-chancellor of the university and the petitioners have no involvement in the matter. The lawyers requested the court to restrain the departmental inquiry committee from taking action against the petitioners till final order in the case. They said that the NAB was an independent body for probing the matter and they were ready to appear and cooperate with the anti-graft body.