SBBWU without regular vice-chancellor since April 2018

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has yet to appoint a regular vice-chancellor of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (SBBWU) even though the term of the incumbent Dr Razia Sultana ended in April last year.

Since then, she has been working as acting vice-chancellor because the government has inexplicably taken too long to decide the issue. For almost a year now, the university has been without a regular vice-chancellor, causing uncertainty and fuelling speculations about the inordinate delay.

In the interviews conducted for the vice-chancellor’s job in November 2018, Dr Razia Sultana reportedly topped the list after she was shortlisted for the job along with Dr Ghazala Yasmeen and Dr Noorjehan.

It should have been a straightforward decision as Dr Razia Sultana having already served as the vice-chancellor of SBBWU and also being at the top of the panel of three leading candidates was best qualified to be reappointed. Dr Ghazala Yasmeen, presently the vice-chancellor of Women University Mardan and earlier the principal of the Home Economics College Peshawar, was second in the list. Dr Noorjehan, the former vice-chancellor of University of Swabi, was placed third in terms of merit for the office of vice-chancellor of SBBWU.

When the interviews for the position were conducted late last year, it was felt the government has finally awakened to the need to end the uncertainty by appointing a regular vice-chancellor of SBBWU. However, the delay got longer and it is unclear as to when the vice-chancellor would be appointed.

It isn’t known as to where the file is stuck. There is no indication if it is pending at Governor Shah Farman’s office or at the secretariat of Chief Minister Mahmood Khan. Or it is some bureaucrat sitting on the file.

Dr Razia Sultana is said to have produced more than a dozen PhDs, initiated a number of projects and motivated her faculty and students to publish research papers. Under her supervision, the SBBWU has organized a number of national and international conferences. The main campus of the university at Larama village off the Charsadda road on the outskirts of Peshawar has come up gradually with new buildings and departments.