VCs appointment in KP: Dr Jamil Chitrali complains no reason given for not calling him for interview

PESHAWAR: Dr Jamil Ahmad, a professor at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Peshawar, has complained that he wasn’t called for interview as an applicant for the position of vice-chancellor of the public sector universities in Chitral and Buner even though the Academic and Search Committee Chairman Prof Dr Attaur Rahman had asked the Higher Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to look into his complaint.

In a statement, he said he had informed Dr Attaur Rahman in time and the latter directed the secretary, Higher Education Department, KP to “ensure that all is strictly in order in respect of the following complaint.” However, he added that his complaint wasn’t addressed.

He pointed out that other applicants including Prof Nasir Jamal and Dr Badshah Munir Bukhari got a similar response.

In his complaint to Dr Attaur Rahman, Dr Jamil Ahmad, commonly known as Jamil Ahmad Chitrali, said he got mixed messages from the Higher Education Department. He said verbally he was told that the Academic and Search Committee didn’t do any shortlisting of candidates for the vice-chancellor’s position. Besides, he was told that the Higher Education Department didn’t send your file for review. Moreover, he said he was informed that he hadn’t applied for these positions even though he had in his possession a record of his correspondence with the Higher Education Department and had also shared this with Dr Attaur Rahman.

Dr Jamil Ahmad, who was elected president of the Peshawar University Teachers Association (PUTA) four times in the past, noted that he sent all the required degrees and experience certificates, letters and documents asked by the HED through its deputy secretary. He opined that the process was dubious and it seemed the ground was being cleared for mediocrity.

This happens every time when the process to appoint vice-chancellors of public sector universities in KP is undertaken. Many candidates who believe they have the relevant qualification and experience feel ignored and bypassed. It leads to complaints and those appointed eventually become controversial.