Returning the summaries, the Punjab governor cited legal objections and non-compliance with established regulations.

The summaries did not follow the required protocol, which mandates three candidates listed alphabetically from which the governor selects one, according to the Governor’s House spokesperson.

However, the Punjab government argues that it wants to make these appointments on merit as seven vice chancellors have already been appointed in the first phase.

A day earlier, the Punjab government appointed vice chancellors of seven public sector universities across the province.

On September 2, the chief minister met 11 candidates for VC positions at public universities. On Sept 16, she conducted a meeting with seven candidates for the positions at public sector women universities in the province.

The seven VCs include Prof Dr Muhammad Ali Shah as VC of the University of the Punjab, Prof Dr Shahid Munir as VC of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore, Prof Dr Zubair Iqbal as VC of the Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Prof Dr Amir Azam Khan as VC of the Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology Rahim Yar Khan, as per  government notifications issued by the government.

The others newly appointed VCs are: Prof Dr Aqif Anwar Chaudhry as VC of the University of Education Lahore, Prof Dr Inayatullah Khan as VC of the University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila, and Prof Dr Ahmed Shuja as VC of the University of Gujrat.

Talking to an electronic media network, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said that the Punjab governor’s is to assent the steps and decisions being taken by the Punjab Assembly and the cabinet.

She said, “The governor is not empowered to overrule the decisions of the provincial cabinet.” She added the Punjab governor remained a former federal minister, should be well aware about the importance of the cabinet decisions.

She said that the cabinet approved the selection committee for the appointment of the Vice Chancellors of the universities of the province. The selection committee interviewed all the aspiring candidates to be appointed as Vice Chancellors in the universities and recommended the names of eligible, senior and experienced educationists as Vice Chancellors.

The minister said the Punjab governor instead of playing the role of an opposition should let the governorship be limited to a constitutional post only.