DN Report Karachi: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has once again suspended the notification of making Professor Naushad A Shaikh as Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Dow University of Health & Sciences (DUHS) till 10th November 2015. SHC bench headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah took up the petition filed by the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) which moved the court for the second time against appointment of Professor Shaikh as VC of DUHS. Earlier, the same petitioner reached SHC challenging Professor Shaikh’s appointment as VC of DUHS on which the court on 8th October suspended the operation of the notification that made him as VC of the varsity. However on 12th October the court was informed that governor had withdrawn notification that made professor Shaikh as VC, hence the court disposed of the petition. PMA stated that, meanwhile, on 26th October, professor Shaikh was once again appointed on the same post while there were no changes in search committee’s finding to discover a suitable candidate. The petitioner stated that earlier the Chancellor, Sindh governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad, was the competent authority for appointing vice chancellors of the varsities. But now according to Sindh University and Institute Laws (Amendment) Act 2014, he has to go by recommendations from the government’s committee for appointing vice chancellor of any university. The petitioner submitted that the search committee, earlier, formed to find a suitable candidate, has forwarded for approval a summary recommending Dr Saeed Qureshi as the vice chancellor. But the governor, while ignoring Dr Qureshi’s qualification and experience, appointed Professor Shaikh as VC of DUHS instead. After the initial hearing, the court suspended operation of notification dated 26th October which had made re-appointmint of Professor Shaikh as DUHS’s VC till 10th November . The court also issued notices to Additional Attorney General and respondents to file their comments on the next hearing. It is pertinent to mention that the Sindh Governor, on the advice of Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, had appointed Prof Dr Umar Farooq as the acting VC of DUHS on September 17, after the former VC Dr Masood Hameed Khan completed his four years’ term on September 15. Dr Umar Farooq was also replaced within two days by Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser, VC of the University of Karachi. Around 12 candidates applied for the post after the government had invited applications for the post while the university’s search committee having interviewed all the candidates short listed three. The search committee recommended Dr Saeed Qureshi as the top candidate for the post. CM Sindh selected Dr Qureshi’s name based on merit as he was the top candidate for the post because only the CM is the authority to select anyone from the three names given. Whereas, after 14 days, Professor Noshad has been appointed as varsity’s VC for four-year-period on the instructions of the governor who dose not have the authority to do so.
