HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad circuit bench of the Sindh High Court on Tuesday issued an interim order suspending operation of a notification for the appointment of Prof Dr Arshad Abro as pro vice chancellor of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, till April 22.

A constitutional division bench comprising Justices Arbab Ali Hakro and Riazat Ali Sahar passed the order on a petition filed by Prof Dr Seema Naz, who had challenged Mr Abro`s appointment.

The bench issued notices to respondents including Additional Advocate General (AAG) Sindh to appear in court on April 18 while suspending operation of the summary dated March 26, 2025, and subsequent notification for Mr Abro`s appointment.

The petitioner`s counsel Advocate Mohammad Humayun Khan stated that the petitioner was approved as pro-VC of LUMHS for a fixed tenure of four years, pursuant to Aug 30, 2024 notification, and her tenure was set toconclude on Aug 29, 2028.

He said that respondent professor [Mr Abro] was considered for the office of proVC but such summary dated June 13, 2024, was declined with remarks that `he is quite junior professors nearly 10 years senior to him will be bypassed, therefore not supported`.

He said that proceedings were initiated against Prof Abro in syndicate on Oct 5, 2024, and it was resolved he should not be posted to any statutory or nonstatutory administrative position including unit in charge for a period of seven years.

Thereafter, the counsel argued, a fresh summary was submitted proposing appointment of a pro-VC in LUMHS for impending vacancy. Since Prof Naz was scheduled to retire as professor on April 17, 2024, the respondent professor`s appointment was proposed in view of anticipated vacancy, he said.

He said that position of pro-VC was tenure based and the petitioner was entitled to retain this designation until completion of her four year term. If the impugned summary`s operation was not suspended a notification might be issued by therespondents, thereby undermining the purpose of filing of this petition, he said.

In her petition, Prof Naz argued that the respondents Chief Secretary, Secretary of Universities & Boards, Secretary of Health and Registrar of LUMHS had taken steps to relieve her from her duly held office of pro-VC by appointing Dr Abro.

She said that she was appointed as professor on March 16, 2022, and pro-VC LUMHS on Aug 30, 2024. In 2022, Mr Abro`s name was included in a summary and on June 13, 2024 submitted to Sindh chief minister for consideration of appointment as pro-VC but the CM declined to endorse it on June 27, 2024, observing he stood at number 42 on seniority list, she said.

But, she said, his name was again placed before the chief minister in the impugned summary and this time it was surprisingly approved. The sudden reconsideration and approval of his name despite no substantial change in his credentials or seniority had raised serious questions about transparency of appointment process, she said.

She informed that under section 14-A (1) of LUMHS Ordinance 2000 she had alegal right to serve full tenure and neither the ordinance nor her appointment notification stipulated any condition or eventuality permitting curtailment of the four-year term.

She said that by initiating steps to prematurely relieve her of her post without lawful justification the respondents had acted arbitrarily and ultra vires to the statute.

She said that recommendation for his [Mr Abro`s] appointment as pro-VC was not only unjustified but was tainted with favouritism because he was widely known to be a blue-eyed nominee of certain political figures. Hence, his selection out of turn and in violation of merit raised serious concerns abouttransparency and propriety in public appointment, she said.

She prayed the court to declare the impugned summary of the chief minister as having been processed in an arbitrary manner. The Chief Secretary should be restrained from relieving the petitioner from her post and issuing a notification for the appointment of the respondent as pro-VC until disposal of the petition,she said.