Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday sought reply from the provincial government against a petition, challenging Sindh Universities (Amendment) Act 2018 to declare it null and void. A divisional bench of SHC headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar ordered SHC to submit its written reply to the petition by October 02. The bench also ordered the petitioner to attach the copy of universities act with the petition.
Altaf Shakoor, President Pasban filed the petition in SHC against the act and submitted in the court that this act is ill-will on part of the provincial government, which put the administration of 24 public sector universities under the control of the chief minister by stripping off provincial governor from the powers to manage the affairs of universities.
Irfan Aziz Advocate, counsel for petitioner submitted in the court that this act deprived the public sector universities from their autonomous status as eight bureaucrats would be appointed on the syndicate, which governs the affairs of the universities. He stated that this would ruin the environment of the universities by turning into center of political activities.
The petitioner also alleged that this act would shut down the doors of public sector universities on the students of urban parts of the province and prayed the court to declare it null and void to save the higher education in the province.
Chief Minister Sindh, Governor Sindh, Speaker Sindh Assembly and Chief Secretary have been made respondents in the petition. Counsel submitted that public sector universities would be destroyed like the schools in Sindh, if this act was not withheld.
Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar asked the counsel to explain how this act would destroy the environment at the universities. "What do you think should be done to save the universities", Justice Mazhar asked the counsel, who argued that before enacting this legislation, the provincial Governor was the chancellor of universities.
Justice Mazhar stated that court would take action if the amendment in this act affects the fundamental rights of the citizens. Court ordered Additional Advocate General Shabir Shah to submit written, if you have any views on it after he contended that this act is not illegal to be declared null & void, as sought by the petitioner.
Court directed the Sindh Government to submit its reply by October 02 into this petition and also ordered the petitioner to attach copy of act with the petition. Meanwhile, a divisional bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulphuto sought the progress report from Home Department Sindh, Police, Rangers and others about the recovery of missing persons.
Conducting the hearing on petitions seeking recovery of missing persons, the bench showed displeasure over IG Sindh for his failure to submit the reply after court ordered him to do so in the case of a citizen namely Faisal, who went missing. The court sought the report from IG Sindh by October 10 in Faisal missing case.
The bench also summoned Additional IG Sindh for recovery of a person Tahir, a resident of Orangi Town to appear in person. Court also ordered police to use modern devices and print & electronic media to trace out the missing persons.
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