Karachi, Hyderabad ‘ignored’ for key HEC appointments

Karachi and Hyderabad have seemingly been excluded in the process for the appointment of 13 directors general at the Higher Education Commission (HEC), raising concerns about regional inclusivity and transparency in federal hiring practices. Interestingly, Federal Education Minister Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui is from Karachi.

According to the documents available with The News, the HEC has advertised 13 DG positions in BPS-20, with interviews scheduled for June 11, 12 and 13 at the Mural Hall, HEC Headquarters, Islamabad. The key positions of member and adviser have also been included in the scheduled interviews.

The distribution of positions according to the provincial and regional quota includes two for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one on merit, one for Federally Administered Tribal Areas, six for Punjab, one for Punjab (women) and two for Sindh (rural).

Surprisingly, no position has been allocated for Sindh (urban), which includes major urban centres such as Karachi and Hyderabad, despite their significant contribution to the country’s higher education sector.

Adding to the controversy, the interviews are being conducted in the absence of a regular executive director, who is traditionally responsible for overseeing the HEC Secretariat and the appointment process.

The position of executive director has already been advertised, and the appointment remains pending. Moreover, the tenure of the current HEC chairman is set to conclude by the end of next month, giving rise to further uncertainty over the legitimacy of the ongoing recruitment.

Sources reveal that one of the senior officials of the Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training has expressed reservations over the process. Despite this, the HEC is proceeding with the interviews.

In a related development, an HEC official has filed a petition with the Peshawar High Court to challenge the recruitment process. The court has issued directives that no final order be passed in the matter until further notice.

The last date for the submission of applications was July 29, 2024. The government has directed all federal ministries, divisions, departments and autonomous bodies to complete their recruitment processes within 90 days of advertising the vacancies.

This directive issued by the Establishment Division on September 21, 2017, amends earlier guidelines to ensure timely and efficient hiring across government institutions. In the case of universities, the HEC and other stakeholders often raise serious objections if vice chancellors go for any such appointment process towards the end of their tenures.

Stakeholders and education experts have called for immediate intervention to ensure fair representation and procedural integrity in the recruitment process of such critical positions within the HEC.

According to the HEC spokesman, the HEC had advertised for 13 vacancies of DG (BPS-20) in July 2024, so the impression that urban Sindh (including Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur) was ignored is wrong.

He said that a large number of applications were received in response to the advertisement. After a thorough and time-consuming screening process, the shortlisted candidates have been invited for interview by the selection board, he added.

He also said that despite the HEC chairman’s tenure nearing end, there is no restriction on him to complete this process, as he is authorised to complete this process as the convener of the selection board. According to the instructions of the HEC, the process for the appointment of the executive director is also under way, and this appointment will also be made soon, he added.