SHC orders appointing permanent KU VC within two weeks

The Sindh High Court has taken exception to the provincial authorities’ failure to comply with its directives for the reconstitution of a search committee for the appointment of a permanent vice chancellor to Karachi University, and directed the chief minister to reconstitute the committee and complete process the filling the post within two weeks.

The fresh directives came during a hearing of a contempt-of-court application filed by Prof Dr Ahmed Qadri and others against the authorities’ failure to follow the court orders and remove the acting vice chancellor of the varsity.

The applicants’ counsel submitted that the competent authority did not reconstitute the search. The additional advocate general said the search committee bill 2022 had been passed by the assembly and was expected to be enacted within the shortest period of time. He submitted that soon after the enactment of the bill, the committee would be formed again.

The counsel for the KU informed the court that a list of 10 most senior professors were called from Karachi University, and after getting proper approval from the competent authority, the chief minister had appointed Dr Nasira Khatoon as acting VC.

A division bench comprising Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar and Justice Adnanul Karim Memon, after perusal of the provincial law officer’s report, observed that prima facie the respondents had not complied with the court orders issued on January 26 and the search committee had not yet been reconstituted to appoint of the new VC.

The court, giving the last chance, directed the competent authority to reconstitute the committee and complete the appointment for a new VC within two weeks positively. It observed that no further time would be granted.

The SHC had earlier taken notice of serious allegations against the now former acting KU vice chancellor, and directed the university to forward the names of 10 most senior professors to the CM, who would notify one most senior professor as acting VC till the appointment of a permanent VC.