{
  "id": 959194,
  "title": "PHC sets aside Khyber Medical University VC nominations, remits matter to academic search body",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/phc-sets-aside-khyber-medical-university-vc-nominations-remits-matter",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-15T04:40:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2022855/phc-sets-aside-khyber-medical-university-vc-nominations-remits-matter-to-academic-search-body"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court partially accepted a petition challenging the appointment of the vice chancellor to Khyber Medical University, setting aside the initial nominations and directing the Academic Search Committee to reconsider its recommendations after obtaining opinions from the Law Department and the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council. A bench of Justices Syed Arshad Ali and Dr Khursheed Iqbal issued the directions while hearing a joint petition filed by senior professors Dr A.H. Amir and Dr Mohammad Ayaz Khan. The petitioners alleged that the selection process did not adhere to statutory requirements and prescribed merit criteria. The court had previously restrained the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government from issuing a notification regarding the VC appointment. The bench ruled that the matter would be remitted to the Academic Search Committee for fresh consideration of eligible candidates for the post, considering opinions from the Law Department and PMDC. The committee must submit recommendations to the competent authority. The petitioners sought a declaration that solely evaluating candidates based on interviews, disregarding objective assessments as per Schedule II of the Universities Act, was illegal and unlawful. They argued that the selection criteria favored the interview over academic qualifications and professional experience, which should carry more weight. The lawyers contended that authorities could not bypass mandatory statutory requirements such as the mandatory 10-year professorship prerequisite for the VC position. Senior counsel Amir Javed pointed to Supreme Court rulings, insisting that discretionary powers should be exercised objectively on merit and strictly in accordance with the law. The provincial government's law officer and respondents' counsel argued that appointing a VC fell under the exclusive jurisdiction of the provincial government.",
  "summary": "PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has partially accepted a petition against the process to appoint the vice chancellor to Peshawar’s Khyber Medical University, setting aside the nominations and directing the academic search committee to submit fresh recommendations after getting opinion from the law department and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). A bench consisting of Justice Syed…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "34-year-old assistant professor at Kozhikode Medical College found dead in quarters",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/34-year-old-assistant-professor-at-kozhikode-medical-college-found",
        "published": "2026-08-14T08:16:56.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "6 Jinnah Sindh Medical University faculty members urge VC to review decision to rehire professor after retirement",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/6-jinnah-sindh-medical-university-faculty-members-urge-vc-to-review",
        "published": "2026-08-15T04:38:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}