21 public-sector varsities operating without VCs

Punjab leads the pack with no permanent head in 15 universities

ISLAMABAD: As an alarming number of graduates from higher education institutions are turning towards extremism, some 21 universities in the country are operating without permanent heads, with Punjab leading the pack with 15 universities.

Political wrangling among different groups and the hasty implementation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment have negatively impacted the higher education sector. As a result the universities have become bastions of mudslinging and leg pulling.



In fact, the HEC a few months back wrote a letter to the Punjab Higher Education Commission to fill the vacant positions, while another reminder was sent to all the provinces regarding the issue. The letter urged the chancellors and search committees to initiate the process for appointing a new VC and also instructed them that in the future they should look for a VC six months before they retire.

Punjab has been the worst-affected province where despite court orders (for four universities) the needless delay has become a nuisance for the province’s academia. Interestingly, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has recently appointed heads of nine universities whose posts were vacant for a stretch of one year.

Punjab

Of all the universities, Ghazi University of Dera Ghazi Khan has been headless for the last four years. The university’s first VC was removed on charges of corruption. Since then, it is being run by a senior faculty member as acting head.

Other universities include Punjab University; Information Technology University, Lahore; University of Agriculture, Faisalabad; Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi; University of Health Sciences, Lahore; Fatima Jinnah Medical University; Women University, Multan; University of Okara; University of Sahiwal; University of Jhang; University of Home Economics, Lahore; Lahore College for Women University; Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology (MNS-UET), Multan; and King Edward Medical University, Lahore.

The LHC directed the Punjab government to appoint VCs in four of the above public-sector universities as per recommendations of the search committees. However, the issue became political due to the non-inclusion of blue-eyed boys in the final list.



Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif had, on June 24, interviewed all the candidates of Punjab University and MNS-UET Multan but an appointment is yet to be made since and recently the governor, who is the ex-officio chancellor of universities, has forwarded a summary for re-advertisement of the posts.

Interestingly, the new summary, of July 13, has set the age relaxation till 65 and has not asked, as a requirement, that the head of the university should have a PhD.
Former professor of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) Zafar Iqbal Qureshi, who is a member of Punjab’s search committee, said, “I do not think vacant position at the top creates a leadership vacuum.”

Federal

Comsats Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad is also being headed an acting rector, Raheel Qamar, after Junaid Zaidi had left the post. There is a reticence on the part of the management as well to keep the top post ad hoc as Zaidi is now heading the Comsats Institute under which the university functions.



Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
Until recently, some six universities in K-P were without the heads, but the governor has recently appointed four VCs. Currently, University of Malakand has an acting VC while the post of VC is vacant in University of Swat.

Sindh

Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, Karachi has also become a victim of politicking and internal grouping.

Dr Sulaiman Muhammad was holding the charge of VC, but a court on Friday ordered that former VC Zafar Iqbal be reinstated to his post. The hide and seek of VCs has made the university a laughing stock for the last three years.

Meanwhile, Justice (retd) Qazi Khalid Ali has been serving as acting Vice Chancellor of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto University of Law, Karachi since March 2013. Similarly, Prof Dr Madad Ali Shah is also serving as acting VC of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University of Technology and Skill Development in Khairpur Mirs.