LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday stayed April 1 meeting of the Punjab University senate and directed the vice chancellor to immediately initiate process to hold election of the body (senate) within a week.

Hearing petitions of two Punjab University faculty members, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah also sought a written reply from Vice Chancellor Prof DrMujahid Kamran about appointment of his wife, Prof Shazia Qureshi, as principal of the PU Law College.

On behalf of the petitioners, Advocate Saad Rasool argued that the incumbent VC was not ready to hold fresh election of the senate since 2007 to maintain his monopoly in the institute. He said annual budget of the university had not been approved from the senate too.

When asked by the judge, PU Additional Registrar KamranAbid, present in the court, conceded senate was dysfunctional for the last eight years. However, he said, budget had been approved after constituting a quorum of the senate.

Justice Shah expressed displeasure over the way the university`s affairs were being handled and observed, `Seemingly the law is being mocked by the authorities in the Punjab University.

The petitioner`s counsel pointed out that the section 15 ofthe University Act gave its vice chancellor emergency powers.

He pointed out that Dr Kamran promoted his wife Shazia Qureshi and appointed her as principal of the PU Law College, whereas the syndicate had not approved the move.

He asked the court to also set aside the appointment of the vice chancellor`s wife as the law college head.

Staying the meeting of the PU senate, the judge directed the vice chancellor to start process tohold the election within a week.

The judge also sought a reply about the appointment of Prof Shazia Qureshi by the next hearing on April 9. Prof Javed Sami and Assistant Prof Shazia Gul had filed the petitions.

BAIL PLEAS DISMISSED: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday dismissed bail petitions of 12 members of defunct Hizbul Tehrir, involved in distributing anti-army and objectionable material.

Ghalib Market police had reg-istered a case against Agha Tahir and others and recovered 30,000 pamphlets and 100 books from their custody.

JUDGE RETIRES: Justice Syed Iftikhar Husain Shah of the Lahore High Court retired from his office on Tuesday.

A formal send-off ceremony was held in the honour of the outgoing judge.

Chief Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik and other judges presented a souvenir and bouquet to the outgoing judge.