21 recommended for VC slots of 7 KP universities

PESHAWAR: Some 21 names have been recommended for appointment as vice-chancellors of seven public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the final notification is expected soon.

The interviews for the vacant offices were held on January 28 to 30. At least 59 candidates had appeared in the interviews conducted by the Academic and Search Committee headed by former chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Prof Dr Attaur Rahman.

“Among them 21 have been picked and a panel of three candidates has been approved for each university,” reliable sources told The News.

According to the list annexed with the summary moved by the Higher Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for the appointment, Dr Jehan Bakht is at top of the list for the historic Islamia College University, Peshawar. The next two candidates for this position are Dr Gul Majid Khan and Dr Yasin Iqbal in terms of priority.

For University of Buner, Prof Dr Amin Badshah is the top recommended candidate followed by Dr Mohammad Akmal and Dr Imtiaz Ali Khan. For the University of Chitral, Prof Dr Zahir Shah is the first choice while Dr Mohammad Tahir Khan and Dr Iqbal Munir have been placed at the second and third position, respectively.

For FATA University, Darra Adamkhel, Prof Dr Mohammad Jahanzeb Khan has been recommended as the top candidate followed by Dr Ameer Ali Shah and Dr Farmanullah. For the Women University Mardan, Dr Ghazala Yasmin has been recommended as the first choice while Dr Rani Faryal and Dr Noor Jehan are next in line merit-wise.

For Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, Dr Ziaul Haq is the top candidate, Dr Azizul Hassan Aamir is placed second and Dr Noorul Iman is at third position. Dr Ziaul Haq is also the incumbent vice-chancellor of the university.

The summary would move to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat through the Establishment Department. The chief secretary and the chief minister would send it to the Governor’s Secretariat and after approval by the governor the final notification for the vice-chancellors would be issued.

The process normally takes a week or two till the issuance of notification. According to the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the candidate recommended on top has to be appointed as vice-chancellor. The discretionary powers of the chief minister and the governor/chancellor public sector universities have been curtailed in view of political pressure and possible favouritism.

Like previous times, questions have been raised about the process this time as well. Critics argued that the names recommended for Women University Mardan and Khyber Medical University, Peshawar didn’t meet the eligibility criteria.

In some cases, the Academic and Search Committee has even violated its own directives that no sitting vice-chancellor would be interviewed or shortlisted for appointment in another university. The candidate shortlisted for Islamia College University is already serving as vice-chancellor of the Agriculture University. He is also holding the office of vice-chancellor of the Islamia College University as an additional charge.

Some of the candidates shortlisted in the current list told The News that they had not given the option for the universities for which they have been shortlisted. Serious allegations have been levelled against the professor shortlisted for Women University Mardan, who happens to be the spouse of a senior bureaucrat and is holding office as vice-chancellor of the same university for the last four years. She had been given extension till arrival of a full-time vice-chancellor on completion of her tenure last year.