Supreme Court suspends LHC decision, bars UAF VC from work

LAHORE:The Supreme Court on Monday suspended a Lahore High Court’s decision and restrained Dr Muhammad Ashraf from functioning as vice-chancellor of University of Agriculture Faisalabad.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmad passed the order hearing an appeal by Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan at the Lahore registry. Initially, Dr Khan had approached the LHC against the appointment of Dr Ashraf as the vice-chancellor. Khan had pleaded that he was the person highest on merit but the provincial government in sheer violation of merit as well as the directions of the LHC appointed the person lowest on merit (from amongst the three shortlisted candidates). He said the Punjab Assembly Speaker while acting as chancellor in the absence of the governor on 16 April, 2019, issued the notification of Dr Ashraf. Allowing his petition, a single bench had on 4 February, 2020 set aside the appointment of Dr Ashraf with a direction to the government to notify the candidate highest in the merit list strictly in accordance with law.

However, Dr Ashraf and the government assailed the verdict through separate intra court appeals. Allowing the ICAs, a two-judge bench on 19 March set aside the single bench’s decision and restored Dr Ashraf to the position of the vice-chancellor.

The division bench declared that marks awarded by the search committee were for only tabulation purposes to help it shortlist the candidates and provide three recommendations of the appointable to the vice-chancellor.

It ruled that the chancellor could choose any candidate from amongst the three shortlisted based on the chief minister’s advice. It said allocating marks by the search committee was only for short-listing purpose for selecting the three candidates to be placed before the chancellor.

Consequently, Dr Khan challenged the division bench’s judgment before the Supreme Court. The apex court suspended the LHC’s decision and directed the pro-vice-chancellor of the university to look after day to day affairs until the decision on the appeal.