Fuuast senate names Dr Altaf Hussain for VC post

In a bid to resolve the longstanding matter of appointing a permanent vice chancellor at the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (Fuuast), the varsity’s senate officials proposed appointing Prof Dr Syed Altaf Hussain as the new VC.

Prof Hussain has been serving as the vice chancellor of the Nazeer Hussain University since August 2014. He has also formerly served as the VC of the Allama Iqbal Open University.

The suggestion came up during a meeting of Fuuast’s senate, called by President Mamnoon Hussain at the President House, on Thursday. According to the Fuaast Ordinance 2002, members of senate as well as the VC is to be appointed by the chancellor  from amongst the persons recommended.

Fuuast has since August 2015 been mired in the controversy after the current VC, Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal, was accused of being involved in corruption.  The meeting was also to hear out Prof Iqbal, as per directives of the Islamabad High Court, but he was a no-show as he had to be admitted to a medical facility a day earlier.  

The senate, however, decided to provide the incumbent VC another opportunity to vindicate himself of corruption allegations and appear before the senate committee on October 18. The meeting also decided that Prof Iqbal would only look after daily activities of Fuuast but not make any administrative decisions including on matters of finance and appointments of staff.