The bill accedes all the powers to the chief minister while reducing the role of the provincial education
KARACHI: Despite protests and widespread resentment by the opposition, the provincial cabinet of Sindh has passed the Sindh Universities Law (Amendment) Act of 2018. The bill accedes all the powers to the chief minister while reducing the role of the provincial education and literacy department and the chancellors of the universities to merely ceremonial bodies and posts, respectively.
The passage of the bill is even more shocking, given the grim condition of the major departments of the Sindh government, including health and agriculture. Also, as now the chief minister of the province will have the unquestionable authority to appoint any minister as pro-chancellor, pro-vice-chancellor and finance director of an institution, the possibility of more frequent political appointments cannot be ruled out. Moreover, the supervision and management of the public-sector universities should fall under the discretionary domain of the provincial education commission.
Azifa Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2018.
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