LAHORE: On behalf of the Punjab government, an inter court appeal was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday, challenging the removal of vice chancellors of the Punjab University Dr Mujahid Kamran and three other public sector universities, including Lahore College for Women University, University of Sargodha and Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology, Multan by the single bench.

Punjab Additional Advocate General Shan Gul stated that these appointments were made under section 14 of the public sector universities amended act and there was no illegality in it. He stated that the VC office was purely an administrative post.

He stated that there was no legal bar to consult the Higher Education Commission (HEC) before making the appointments. He stated that these appointments were made in the light of Supreme Court verdict and under guideline given by the HEC.

He stated that the higher education appointed seasoned people who were on merit. He requested the court to set aside the single bench order.

Earlier, a single bench – comprising Justice Shahid Karim – on December 1 declared appointments of four vice chancellors, including Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran to Punjab University, Prof Dr Uzma Qureshi to Lahore College for Women University, Prof Dr Nazra Sultana to University of Sargodha and Prof Dr Fazal Ahmad Khalid to Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology Multan illegal.

Prof Dr Auranzeb Alamgir also filed a contempt of court petition against the HEC secretary for not implementing within a week the single bench order.