PM approves search committee for HEC chairman

ISLAMABAD: The prime minister has approved the search committee for the appointment of new chairperson of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), a post that is falling vacant in April.

A formal notification dated January 23, 2018 has also been issued by Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training naming six members of the committee. “In pursuance of the Prime Minister‘s Office UO No38/SPM/18, the prime minister is pleased to approve the following search committee for selection of chairperson of Higher Education Commission Islamabad” reads the notification.

The six-member committee would be comprised of Syed Babar Ali, Convener, Dr Sania Nishtar, Dr Faisal Bari, Ms Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Mirza Qamar Baig and Federal Education and Professional Training secretary who would act as member and secretary of the newly constituted committee.

The notification also specifies the Terms of Reference (ToRs) of the committee. Under the ToRs, the committee is tasked to set criteria in terms of age, qualification, expertise etc for new HEC chairman.

It has to advertise the position based on set criteria and to scrutinise the applications on the advertised criteria, short list candidates meeting the criteria, conduct interviews and propose a panel of at least three suitable eligible candidates for the approval of the controlling authority.

The term of current HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed would expire on April 15, 2018. The federal government decided to appoint the HEC new chairperson through competitive process instead of granting extension as according to the sources. Three cases are also pending against the appointment of current HEC chairperson and finding of search committee in Islamabad and Lahore higher courts.

Meanwhile, the working group on higher education has appreciated the federal government for appointing reputed academicians and representatives of civil society as members of search committee for appointment of HEC chairman.

They hoped that learning from previous experiences, the search committee would ensure transparency and merit based appointment for selection of new HEC chief as per prescribed criteria and controversial candidates would not be considered for this important slot. They also thanked to prime minister for accepting the demand of higher education community in terms of nomination for search committee headed by a reputed academician. The working group would continue to monitor the process for selection of new HEC chairman.