Appointed as first vice-chancellor of the university on June 26, 2008 for four-year term, Ajmal Khan was kidnapped by unknown militants from outside his official residence at the Professors’ Colony on September 7, 2010.

Later the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) accepted responsibility for his kidnapping and released his three video tapes in a bid to pressure the government to accept their demands. The government and the law-enforcement agencies have failed to secure his release. The 60-year old academician is a close relative of the ruling Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan and this was apparently the reason for his kidnapping.

On a number of occasions, senior officials in the government made off-the-record claims about early recovery of the vice-chancellor but it didn’t happen. The teachers and students across the province also didn’t show enough reaction to press the government for making effective efforts for the recovery of the vice-chancellor. In the first few months after his kidnapping, some demonstrations were arranged to demand his recovery.

Before the fresh notification by the chief minister about the extension to Ajmal Khan, it was generally believed that he has been forgotten.The provincial government was supposed to give him extension or appoint a new full-time vice-chancellor as his tenure expired in June.

After Ajmal Khan’s his kidnapping, Prof Dr Haider Shah served as the acting vice-chancellor. However, he was recently replaced by Prof Dr Noor Jahan belonging to the University of Peshawar as acting vice-chancellor.