IIUI Vice Presidents’ Appointments Challenged in Islamabad High Court
Justice Ayaz Shaukat directs International Islamic University Islamabad to respond within two weeks as petitioner questions the appointment process and whether the Board of Governors lawfully delegated its authority to a selection committee.
ISLAMABAD: The appointments of three vice presidents at the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) have been challenged before the Islamabad High Court, which on Monday issued notice to the university and directed it to submit its response within two weeks.
Three Vice-Presidential Appointments Challenged
The petition concerns the positions of Vice President (Academics), Vice President (Administration & Finance), and Vice President (Research & Enterprise).
The case was heard by Justice Ayaz Shaukat on a petition filed by citizen Javed Akhtar, with lawyer Akash Tara appearing for the petitioner.
According to reporting from the proceedings, the petitioner’s counsel argued that an earlier court direction required appointments at the university to be made through a transparent process.
The counsel alleged that the process followed for the three vice-presidential appointments did not meet the required procedure and argued that appointments should have been made on open merit rather than being restricted to existing IIUI faculty members. These remain allegations before the court and have not been judicially determined.
Court Questions Selection Authority
A central issue raised during Monday’s hearing concerned the authority under which the selection process was conducted.
Justice Ayaz Shaukat directed that it be examined whether IIUI’s Board of Governors had delegated its appointment-related authority to the committee that conducted the process.
The legal question is significant because Section 14 of the International Islamic University Ordinance, 1985 states that a vice president is to be appointed by the Board of Governors on the recommendation of the university president, on terms and conditions determined by the board.
IIUI Invited Internal Candidates
The university’s own records show that it invited Expressions of Interest from internal candidates — faculty members serving at IIUI — for the three vice-presidential positions.
The eligibility criteria included being a professor at IIUI, while post-PhD and administrative experience were also specified.
IIUI subsequently said that a high-level committee chaired by Acting Rector and President Prof. Dr. Ahmad Saad Alahmed interviewed candidates for all three positions on April 30.
According to the university, the committee included Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Vice Chancellor of the University of Narowal, and Justice Syed Muhammad Anwar of the Federal Shariat Court, both members of IIUI’s Board of Governors.
The university described the evaluation as comprehensive.
Board of Governors Later Approved Appointments
The university’s Board of Governors later met on May 11.
IIUI’s official account of the 93rd BoG meeting says the board considered, among other matters, rules governing the appointment of vice presidents and directors general.
Official IIUI announcements state that the Board of Governors appointed Prof. Dr. Nadeem Ahmed Sheikh as Vice President (Academics), Prof. Dr. Abdul Rashid as Vice President (Administration & Finance), and Prof. Dr. Ahmed Shuja Syed as Vice President (Research & Enterprise), each for a two-year tenure.
The university has publicly described the selection process as competitive and transparent.
Court Seeks IIUI Response
The competing positions will now be examined by the Islamabad High Court: the petitioner is questioning the legality and transparency of the procedure, while IIUI’s official record maintains that the appointments received Board of Governors approval following a competitive selection exercise.
The court has not suspended or invalidated the appointments at this stage.
It has sought IIUI’s response within two weeks, after which the matter is expected to be considered further.
