SHC restrains search committee from finalising KU VC’s appointment

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday restrained the search committee from finalising the appointment of the University of Karachi’s (KU) vice chancellor (VC) till verification in respect of the candidates’ credentials and till their 25 research publications are obtained from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC).

The interim order came on a petition of Prof Mohammad Ahmed Qadri and Prof Moonis Ahmer, two of the candidates for the VC’s post, who challenged the selection criteria of the search committee for the appointment of the KU VC.

The petitioners’ counsel, Abrar Hasan, submitted that the search committee was attempting to single out Prof Qadri by asking him to get his 25 research publications verified through the HEC. He submitted that as individuals, the petitioners would not be recognised by the HEC and it was the job of the search committee to satisfy itself by issuing a letter to the HEC to get such verification.

To a court query whether the petitioners could challenge the authority of the search committee once they had surrendered to it, the counsel rest his case to the extent of such letter of verification. He, however, submitted that the petitioner would not object to whatever reply the HEC gave.

The counsel requested the SHC to halt the finalisation of the KU VC’s appointment till the verification process was completed by the search committee. A division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui issued notices to the federal and provincial law officers, provincial universities and board department and search committee to file their comments within 10 days.

The bench, in the meantime, ordered that the appointment of the KU VC may not be finalised till such verification from the HEC was obtained in respect of Prof Qadri’s credentials or 25 research publications.

The petitioners also questioned the modes and methods of the search committee and alleged that such methods were adopted to harass the petitioners and other genuine candidates. They submitted that two members of the search committee were former VCs of the KU and were biased against them as they favoured Prof Khalid Mehmood Iraqi who has been serving as the acting VC and is also a candidate for the post of the VC.

They submitted that they were senior most professors according to the seniority list which was bypassed and a junior person was selected to act as the acting VC which amply proved that the search committee was biased and prejudiced and in favour of the candidate who, otherwise, was not entitled to be appointed even as the acting VC. They sought an injunction against the search committee and requested the SHC to declare that the competent authority may select persons to act as members of the search committee who were not biased and prejudiced.