ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday declared the appointment of Zia Batol as chairperson Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) illegal and ordered to remove her from the post. Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani announced the verdict which was reserved earlier after listening arguments from the litigants. The government had issued a notification in October 2019 regarding the appointment of Zia Batol as chairperson PEIRA. In its judgment, the court instructed the government to de-notify Zia Batol immediately and initiate a process to fill the post under the law. The court observed it had repeatedly sought the record regarding the appointment from education ministry but it was not presented. It instructed the Establishment Division to constitute a committee for conducting inquiry of missing documents. The court would send the matter to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) if negligence was found. The court asked the Establishment Division to complete inquiry report within three months and submit its report to the bench. The petition was filed by a citizen Imtiaz Ali Qureshi challenging the appointment.