SHC warns CM Shah of contempt proceedings in KU VC appointment case

Sindh High Court on Thursday warned Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah of contempt of court proceedings for not implementing its orders regarding de-notifying the acting Vice-Chancellor (VC) Karachi University (KU) Khalid Iraqi, notifying the most senior professor as acting VC in his place and constituting a search committee for the appointment, within three months, of a permanent VC of the university.

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A two-member bench headed by Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar was apprised on Thursday that Khalid Iraqi had not been de-notified as the VC of KU yet.

The bench, in its remarks, observed that if the senior-most profession was not appointed the acting VC, then the court would initiate contempt of court proceedings the CM, who was responsible for implementing its orders.

Professor Mohammad Ahmed Qadri and others in identical petitions had challenged the selection criteria of the search committee for the appointments of permanent and acting VCs.

The petitioners had 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 alleged that two members of the committee were former VCs of KU and biased against them as they favoured Professor Khalid Mehmood Iraqi, who had been serving as acting VC and was also a candidate for the post of the VC.

The petitioners contended that they were the most senior professors, according to the seniority list, which was bypassed, and a junior person was selected for the acting VC post, 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 acting VC.

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