Notice served on Fuuast vice chancellor on petition challenging appointment criteria

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued a notice to the newly-appointed vice chancellor (VC) of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (Fuuast) after impleading him as a party in a petition that challenged the appointment criteria for the Fuuast VC.

The petition was filed by Prof Dr Mohammad Zahid who challenged the appointment of the VC. A counsel for the varsity submitted that the scenario of present petitions had been altogether changed on the premise that the ministry of federal education and professional training had appointed Prof Dr Athar Ata as the VC of the Federal Urdu University on February 22 and such petitions had become infructuous.

He also supported the appointment criteria for the VC and submitted that the search committee had finalised the eligible candidate honestly and prudently on the submitted documents and after interviewing the candidates.

A counsel for the petitioner submitted that under an SHC order on September 14, 2021, the process of appointment of the VC had already been subject to the outcome of the petition, due to which the petitions were still alive and could be decided on merit.

The counsel submitted that he had no objection if the Fuuast VC, who was not a party in the petition, was made a party in the proceedings.

The varsity’s lawyer, however, refuted the stance of the petitioner and submitted that the appointment of the VC was fresh cause of action and these petitions were not maintainable in light of notification issued on February 22.

A division bench of the high court comprising Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar and Justice Adnanul Karim Memon after hearing the arguments of the counsels observed that fitness of things demanded that the newly appointed VC be arrayed as a party to the present proceedings so that he may be heard on the subject issue.

The high court directed the office to make the present VC a party in the proceedings after amending the title and issued notices to him for putting his defence in the mater.

The applicant had submitted in the application that the matter pertaining to the appointment of the Fuuast VC was pending before court since last year and no written response had been filed by the varsity in the instant matter.

The applicant’s counsel submitted that the federal government had issued the impugned notification with regard to the appointment of Dr Ata as the VC, the exercise of which was taken in violation of the law.

He submitted that the impugned notification was issued to frustrate the court proceedings and grievance of the petitioner. He submitted that the tenure of the search committee came to an end after the appointment of Dr Shahid Qureshi as the VC on September 16, 2021 who later resigned from the said position. He said that the name of Dr Ata who were at the serial number two could not be reutilised for a subsequent appointment upon the same position.