Long wait over as 8 KP universities get vice-chancellors

PESHAWAR: The long wait is finally over as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has notified the appointment of regular vice-chancellors of eight public sector universities for a three-year term.

Eight separate notifications to this effect were issued late Friday. According to the notifications, Prof Dr Johar Ali of the University of Peshawar has been appointed as vice-chancellor of Khushal Khan Khattak University in Karak for three years. Currently serving as pro-vice-chancellor of the University of Peshawar, Dr Johar Ali has also served as vice-chancellor of the University of Malakand in Chakdara.

The Khushal Khan University was passing through the worst administrative crisis. Its previous vice-chancellor Dr Jan Bakht had left his tenure in the middle after his appointment as vice-chancellor of the Agriculture University, Peshawar more than a year ago. The acting vice-chancellor of the university Dr Mirza Jan reached the age of retirement on December 31, 2019. However, he continued to serve in the university after moving the court to plead that he might be allowed to continue his job for another five years – until 65 years of age – in line with the imaginary model university statutes, which have never been enforced anywhere in the province. Interestingly, the court granted him stay with the directives that he may not be given any administrative post.

This resulted in a strange situation. Dr Mirza Jan continued to serve as pro-vice-chancellor and thus kept performing as acting vice-chancellor of the university. This resulted in an administrative crisis at the university. This reporter made an attempt to reach him on phone to seek his comments for a story, but he preferred to disconnect his phone instead of replying to a politely asked question about his retirement. The Registrar of the university Rashad Khan stated in response to the same question that he (Dr Mirza Jan) had challenged his age of retirement in a court of law and has been granted stay. He believed that his age of retirement as professor should be 65 in line with ‘model statutes’.

Since he was the pro-vice-chancellor, he had been functioning as acting vice-chancellor till the arrival of a regular vice-chancellor, the registrar said.

The Higher Education Department had moved a summary to assign the additional charge to another official till appointment of the regular vice-chancellor. However, before approval of that summary, the appointment of regular vice-chancellor has been notified. Prof Dr Iftikhar Ahmad of the University of Malakand has been appointed as vice-chancellor Gomal University in Dera Ismail Khan for three years. He had earlier served as vice-chancellor of the Abbottabad University of Science and Technology.

The Gomal University is also in a bad shape. The university has been experiencing the worst financial crisis for the past several years. The administrative affairs of the university have also been unpleasant and controversial. There has been the worst polarisation in the university throughout the tenure of the outgoing vice-chancellor Dr Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar. The university administration and teaching fraternity of the university had been at loggerheads for years. The recent issue of sexual harassment in which a dean, Dr Hafiz Salahuddin resigned after conceding his guilt exacerbated the situation further.

Dr Iftikhar would face a tough time to streamline the situation and ensure smooth functioning of the university, which is one of the oldest institutions of the province. Prof Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi of the Institute of Public Health Research, ICMS Karachi, has been appointed as vice-chancellor of Women’s University in Swabi where things have been put on the right track during the past eight months when additional charge of the university was assigned to Dr Imtiaz Ali Khan, vice-chancellor of University of Swabi.

Professor Dr Jamil Ahmad has been appointed as vice-chancellor Hazara University, Mansehra. Currently serving as vice-chancellor Kohat University of Science and Technology, Dr Jamil Ahmad has served mostly in rgw private sector. He belongs to Takht Bhai in Mardan.

Prof Dr Mansoor Ellahi Babar of the Virtual University of Pakistan, Lahore, has been appointed as vice-chancellor of the newly established University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan. Prof Dr Aurangzeb Khan of the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan has been made vice-chancellor of the University of Lakki Marwat, another newly set up university. Prof Dr Shahid Khattak of CUI, Abbotabad has been appointed as vice-chancellor of the University of Engineering and Technology, Mardan.

Prof Dr Tahir I Khan from the University of Bradford, UK, has been appointed as vice-chancellor, Abbottabad University of Science and Technology.

The process for appointment of the vice-chancellors for these eight universities had been initiated in October 2018 and March 2019. It took more than a year to complete the process. Many have serious reservations about transparency in the appointment of vice-chancellors. Anomalies have been pointed out in the process even by the government departments, especially the Establishment Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The standing committee of the National Assembly had also taken notice of the process.