LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday demanded immediate suspension of Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, the newly appointed vice chancellor of Punjab University (PU).
PTI’s senior leader Andleeb Abbas in her letter to Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi wrote that Dr Akhtar’s appointment on June 2, after the announcement of the Election Schedule on May 31, clearly violated the Elections Act, 2017.
She said that as per the law any political appointment made after the announcement of election schedule was illegal and so he should be removed for his position forthwith.
Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar was notified on June 2 as PU’s new vice chancellor following an interview conducted by former chief minister Shehbaz Sharif two days before his government’s tenure ended.
Quoting Section 5(4) of the Elections Act, 2017, Andleeb wrote, “Any government or authority shall not post or transfer any official appointed or deputed in connection with an election without prior approval in writing of the commission including posting or transfer the decision in respect whereof has not been implemented, and the commission may itself issue necessary directions to any such government or authority for posting or transfer of any official.”
According to the PTI leader, PU houses 45,000 students and has historically been vulnerable to political affiliations of its vice chancellors.
“Dr Ahmad has a history of being affiliated with Jamaate Islami (JI) and has held official posts earlier in his career with this political party. The details of his political affiliations and activities have been given in the attached news reports published in various newspapers,” she said.
