The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday restrained the vice chancellor of the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) from taking any major decision regarding affairs of the university. A division bench headed by Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi issued notices to respondents, DUHS Vice Chancellor Professor Masood Hameed Khan, the university registrar, the health secretary to file their respective comments by October 20.
The bench barred Professor Masood from holding any syndicate meeting and taking any major decision in respect of affairs of the university. However, he was allowed to deal with the normal and routine day to day affairs. The petitioner, Dr Shershah Syed, submitted that the court had declared as unlawful the appointment of Professor Masood as vice chancellor of the Dow University of Health Sciences for third term after being approached by him. He said Professor Masood had also filed petition through which he challenged the provision of the DUHS Act, but his petition was dismissed by a division bench of the SHC. However, he was allowed to continue in the VC office after the Sindh governor promulgated the Dow University of Health Sciences (Amendment) Ordinance 2014.
The petitioner's counsel argued that the Supreme Court had already held, in one case, that person-specific laws cannot be promulgated because such exercise instead of promoting admission of justice causes injustice to the society, amongst the citizens, who are being governed under the Constitution.
He said the registrar of the DUHS has issued person-specific notification on September 16 in contravention of the SC verdict whereby on the basis of his past performance, Professor Masood has been directed to continue as the VC of DUHS for two years with effect from September 13 though he has ceased to hold the office in view of the SHC judgement dated June 12.