Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday put off till March 14 the hearing on a petition of three PhD scholars and a former administrative assistant of the Punjab University (PU) challenging inquiries against them under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act 2006.
The counsel for the petitioners sought an adjournment citing business in another court. The legal advisor to the Punjab University submitted a letter issued by the Punjab government authorising the vice chancellor to proceed against the workers.
Dr Ahsan Akhtar Naz and Dr (retd) Mugheesuddin Sheikh, former directors of the Institute of Communication Studies, Dr Zaid Mahmood of the Chemistry Department, Dr Mahmoodul Hasan Arif of the Urdu Encyclopedia of Islam, and Sardar Muhammad, an assistant in Establishment Department of the Punjab university, are challenging departmental action against them.
The petitioners submitted they had been given show cause notices and proceeded under the PEEDA Act which did not apply to the Punjab University employees. They said the university employees should be proceeded under the Punjab University Statues and Act IX of 1973. They said the PEEDA Act did not cover educational, charitable or religious institutions. They said the PEEDA Act covered only the employees of the provincial government.
Dr Naz and Dr Sheikh were issued show cause notices on November 22, 2011, by the vice chancellor of the PU. The notices accused them of misconduct in allegedly preparing fake award lists. Naz was also accused of violating the PU rules in forming an admission committee for MPhil admissions 2009-2011.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2013.