The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday gave the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government a final 10-day deadline to fulfill its obligation of appointing vice-chancellors (VCs) for universities across the province.
A two-judge bench comprising Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah was hearing a contempt petition against the government for failing to comply with prior court directives regarding these appointments. Aamir Javed represented the petitioner, while the Additional Advocate General (AAG) appeared on behalf of the provincial government.
Justice SM Attique Shah expressed disappointment over the government’s repeated delays, noting that 19 universities in KP were operating without permanent VCs. He sternly remarked that if the government was unable to make these appointments, it might as well convert universities into housing societies.
Justice Sahibzada Asadullah pointed out that the court had initially ordered the appointments on August 22, yet no progress had been made in the three months since. He questioned the provincial government’s commitment to resolving the issue, particularly in light of its decision to challenge the Peshawar High Court (PHC’s) ruling in the Supreme Court instead of acting on it.
The petitioner’s counsel highlighted that despite explicit court instructions, the government had failed to finalize the process. He argued that the Academic Search Committee had already shortlisted candidates, and their recommendations only needed approval by the chief minister and subsequent formal appointment by the chancellor.
The AAG explained that delays stemmed from the unavailability of the provincial higher education minister and the chief minister. However, upon further inquiry, it was revealed that the process had been halted, with plans to re-advertise the positions—a move previously nullified by the court.
The court summoned the Secretary of Higher Education, along with Advocate General Shah Faisal Uthmankhel, to explain the delay. The AG informed the court that a summary for appointments had been signed by the caretaker chief minister before elections but had not been forwarded to the chancellor. He assured the bench that efforts were underway to comply with the court’s orders while pursuing an appeal in the Supreme Court.
In response, Justice Shah emphasized that compliance with court directives was non-negotiable. The bench granted the KP government 10 days to implement the orders, warning that further delays would not be tolerated
