The Lahore High Court has directed a thorough investigation into 228 appointments and promotions ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 22 at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).
Justice Khalid Ishaq issued the ruling while hearing petitions filed by Professor Ehsan Qadir Bhaba and others, with Supreme Court Advocate Zohaib Imran Sheikh representing the petitioners. The court has instructed the university’s syndicate to conduct a comprehensive probe to review the legal status, merit, and transparency of all 228 appointments, explicitly mandating that every affected individual be granted a proper right of hearing during the inquiry.
Arguments presented by the petitioners’ counsel highlighted that junior staff to senior professors were allegedly inducted irregularly, with notifications issued late at night on the eve of the former vice chancellor’s retirement. While the Punjab governor had previously ordered scrutiny as chancellor, legal roadblocks and stay orders had stalled proceedings. Emphasizing that public office appointments must adhere strictly to merit and transparency, the court concluded by directing the university syndicate to carry out the formal investigatio.
