PESHAWAR: The much-delayed process of appointment of full-time vice-chancellors of nine public sector universities in the province may suffer a little more delay in view of the reservations about qualification of some final candidates for University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Peshawar, and Technology University, Nowshera.
Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has returned the summary to the Higher Education Department, with the directives to submit separate case of each university. However, names have been finalised for each university and the final decision for seven universities would be taken soon, sources told The News.
The sources said that there were reservations about the qualifications of the recommended candidates for the UET and Technology University, Nowshera and as both the candidates were abroad, verification of their documents would take a bit more time. Therefore, the government decided to break down the combined summary and put up the case of each university separately, the sources said.
The department would hopefully move separate summaries in a couple of days, they added. The sources said the three names for each university already recommended by the academic and search committee would be moved in the fresh summaries. But, in principle, decision has been taken for appointment of the vice-chancellors of the seven universities, the sources said.
According to the sources, Dr Habib Ahmad, the acting vice-chancellor of Hazara University, is expected to be appointed as vice-chancellor of Islamia College University. The two other contenders are Dr Iftikhar Ahmad of Malakand University and Dr Khan Bahader Marwat of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Upper Dir.
Dr Ghazala Nizam of the College of Home Economics, University of Peshawar, is likely to be made vice-chancellor of the Women’s University Mardan from among the three final candidates. The other two are Dr Najma Najam, the founder Vice-Chancellor of Fatima Jinnah University for Women and a former vice-chancellor of Karakoram International University Gilgit-Baltistan, and Prof Dr Noor Jahan of University of Swabi.
Similarly, Dr Khanzadi Fatima Khattak of Abdul Wali Khan University may make it to the office of vice-chancellor Women’s University Swabi from the list of three, with Dr Najma Najam and Dr Ghazala Nizam the remaining two.
There are strong reservations about the qualifications and experience of both Ghazala Nizam and Khanzadi Fatima, who were having the least experience and lesser qualification than a number of other candidates. Several senior most women applicants had not even been shortlisted for the position. Some applicants have declared to move court against them, if they are appointed as vice-chancellors.
A senior woman professor told The News that both the candidates had strong links in the provincial bureaucracy and even in the academic and search committee, which helped them take lead of several senior most applicants. She wondered about the criteria adopted by the academic and search committee for the shortlisting and recommending names.
Moreover, the name of Dr Azamul Asar, former dean UET Peshawar, has been finalised for Kohat University of Science and Technology. The other two candidates for the same university are its former vice-chancellors - Prof Dr Zabta Khan Shinwari, Dr Nasir Jamal Khattak.
Prof Dr Iftikhar Ahmad is expected to be appointed as vice-chancellor Abbotabad University of Science and Technology, Dr Raheel Qamar of Comsats University and Dr Khan Bahadur Marwar have also been recommended for the position.
Dr Mohammad Idrees of the University of Punjab is likely to be appointed as vice-chancellor Hazara University. The other two recommended names for the university are Dr Abbas Chaudhry of University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila, Dr Matiullah.
For Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan, choice would be made between Dr Matiullah Khan of Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH) and Dr Mohammad Sarwar of University of Agriculture Faisalabad as the third contender Dr Idrees has been reportedly finalised for Hazara University.
The decision about UET, Peshawar and Technology University, Nowshera may face further delay after complaints were received about the qualification of the names recommended for both the universities.
The names of Prof Dr Qamarul Wahab, Dr Khalid Hafeez and Dr Jamil Ahmad of the private sector Abasyn University had been recommended for the UET, while Dr Jamil Ahmad, Dr Khalid Hafeez and Dr Azamul Asar have been proposed for Technology University, Nowshera.
Some Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders had special interest in the UET, Peshawar and this must be the reason of the undue delay in the appointment of the vice-chancellors. Now that the cases of the two engineering and technology universities are kept pending, it would pose serious questions over the whole process of appointment.
The positions of the vice-chancellors were advertised in January last. It took about five months for the academic and search committee to collect 240 applications, make shortlisting among them and call 65 candidates for interviews, held on April 21, 22.
In May last, the committee made the final recommendation of 27 candidates. But with the untimely transfer of secretary higher education Farah Hamid and PTI leadership’s interest in the matter, the process was delayed for another month or more.