AIOU VC acting charge withdrawn from minister

KARACHI Following publication of a news item in daily The News, the appointment of Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Rana Tanveer Hussain as acting vice chancellor of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) was promptly withdrawn.

Dr Ziaul Qayyum and Dr Mohammad Ali Shah would complete his four-year term as vice chancellors of Allama Iqbal Open University and Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), respectively on Tuesday (today) Against this backdrop, Rana Tanveer Hussain, federal minister for education and professional training, was appointed as the acting vice chancellor of AIOU, and a notification was issued in this regard.

A federal minister taking over charge as the acting vice chancellor of a public sector institution would have been a first in the country’s history. However, when a news item appeared in The News, the notification was promptly revoked. The AIOU and QAU both are yet to make a decision on the appointment of their vice chancellors.

Meanwhile, Dr Masoom Yasinzai, rector of International Islamic University Islamabad, completed his tenure on Oct 25, 2022, but the university is still without a new rector. On Sept 25, an advertisement for the appointment of VC/ rector to these three universities was published in the national media. Applicants were asked to apply within 10 days of the advertisement’s publication, and 500 applications were received. However, the search committee could only hold one meeting, as the applications were being reviewed yet.