PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench on Wednesday ordered the administration of University of Peshawar (UoP) to refer the issue of sending its registrar on forced leave and conducting inquiry against him before the university`s syndicate, which should make a decision on it within two months.

The bench comprising Justice Roohul Amin Khan Chamkani and Justice Syed Attique Shah issued the directives on a petition filed by UoP registrar Dr Syed Fazal-iHadi, who had initially challenged his transfer from the post of registrar by the acting vicechancellor and subsequently filed the instant petition against starting of an inquiry against himwhile sending him on forced leave.

Advocate Mian Muhibullah Kakakhel appeared for the petitioner and said that the petitioner was initially transferred on February 7 by the acting vicechancellor, Dr Mohammad Abid to the Office of Research Innovation and Commercialisation only five days after the later assumed his charge.

He said that he was permanently appointed as UoP registrar under section 14 of the University of Peshawar Act, 1974, through an order issued on October 20, 2010, and later on his services were con-firmed on October 20, 2011.

The counsel stated that on May 23 a bench of high court suspended a notification issued by the acting vice-chancellor.

He said that the petitioner submitted order of high court to the acting vice-chancellor on May 24 but he blatantly refused to accept the same.Mr Kakakhel said that on May 25 the private secretary of VC received the order of high court, however, he was ordered by the VC to lock the of fice of registrar so that he may not work inside the of fice.

He said that he started his work from outside his office on May 26 but the VC in utter violation of the court order directed the petitioner to go on three months forced leave.

He added that the same day an illegal charge sheet was also issued to him as retaliation to the orders of the court.

He stated that to punish the petitioner further, the acting VCconstituted anillegalinquirycommittee against him and the charge of the office of the registrar was handed over to Dr Zahid Gul illegally in addition to his duties as director planning and development.

The counsel said that as per section11(2)of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities Act, 2012, the vicechancellor did not have any administrative control over the university of ficers including registrar.

The petitioner states that as per section 23 of KP Universities Act, only syndicate of the universitywas empowered to initiate any sort of disciplinary proceedings against the employees in BPS-17 and above.

Advocates Fida Gul and Waseemuddin Khattak appeared for the university administration and said that the inquiry against the petitioner was already completed. They said that recently permanent vice-chancellor had been appointed but so far he had not assumed charge. They added that after the VC assumed charge of his office, the syndicate meeting would be convened and the issue would be referred to it.