LHC disposes of contempt plea against Buzdar, others

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Tuesday disposed of a contempt petition against Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and others after the government issued a notification of Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan as vice chancellor of University of Agriculture Faisalabad.

At the outset of the hearing, a provincial law officer appeared before the court and sought more time for the compliance of the order. However, Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi warned the law officer to either present the notification or the authorities concerned. Finally the law officer returned to the court at 3pm with the notification. At this, the judge disposed of the contempt petition filed by Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan. The petitioner through advocate Bilal Hassan Minto pleaded that a single bench had on February 4, 2020 set aside the appointment of Dr Muhammad Ashraf as the vice chancellor of the university with a direction to the government to notify the candidate highest in the merit list strictly in accordance with law. The counsel said a division bench later set aside the single bench’s decision and the matter went to the Supreme Court. However, he said, the apex court suspended the judgment of the division bench and the decision of the single bench became operative. He argued that the respondents including the chief minister failed to initiate the process for the appointment of new VC of the university in terms of the single bench’s judgment. He said the act of the respondents amounted to contempt of court.