High court rejects acting KMU VC's plea for regular appointment.

PESHAWAR -- The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by Khyber Medical University's acting vice-chancellor Dr Arshad Javaid seeking his appointment on permanent basis for a period of three years.

A bench consisting of Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Syed M Attique Shah pronounced its order after the counsel for different parties finished arguments.

The petitioner claimed that he had been serving as the acting vice-chancellor in accordance with an earlier order of the high court, while the government hadn't notified his appointment on permanent basis despite the recommendation of the search and scrutiny committee concerned.

He had requested the court to direct the provincial government to issue notification of his appointment as the permanent vice-chancellor for a statutory term of three years.

The petitioner was initially appointed as KMU's VC for a period of three years through a notification on July 13, 2017, but that notification was challenged by another candidate for the post, Prof Ziaul Islam.

On Mar 8, 2018, a bench had partially accepted Dr Ziaul Islam's petition by declaring his earlier appointment illegal and directing the relevant academic search committee to recommend three most suitable candidates afresh for the post.

The bench while setting aside the notification issued on July 13, 2017, had ruled that Dr Arshad will act as an acting VC until the appointment of the permanent VC in terms of Section 12(1) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities Act, 2012.

The petitioner's counsel contended that despite recommendation by the search committee, his client had not been appointed as the permanent vice-chancellor and that he had legal right to be appointed against the said post.

Provincial advocate general Shumail Ahmad Butt said the government had already declined to give extension to the vice-chancellors of five of the government universities...