Committee yet to finalise candidates for HEC top job

Six-member panel is to propose three names to PM

ISLAMABAD: A six-member committee tasked with finalising candidates for appointment as chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) is in a fix.

The committee, notified by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, has so far held four meetings in Islamabad and Lahore.

The committee is to send three names to the Prime Minister in a summary, but severe differences cropped up over various names.
Sources privy to the issue shared interesting details with The Express Tribune about the internal meetings. They said the committee interviewed more than 100 candidates from April 19 to 21 and shortlisted seven candidates for the post.

Dr Mukhtar Ahmed had quit as HEC chairman on April 15 after completion of his four-year tenure.

A source said the debate over the issue got so intense that members of the committee even considered dissolving the committee itself and form a new one.

“There were serious differences over the names of shortlisted candidates. Some of the members even felt that they might have missed some promising candidates,” the source said.

A member of the committee was quoted as saying that things should not be left unfinished after spending at least Rs3.5 million.
Subsequently, it was decided to continue the process.

Another source also confirmed the ‘serious’ differences among the committee members over selection of candidates. Some members preferred candidates with research experience while others believed that administrative experience was more important for the post of HEC chief, the source said.

The six-member committee comprises former health minister Dr Sania Nishtar, former lawmaker Shahnaz Wazir Ali, educationists Faisal Bari and Mirza Qamar Baig and secretary education Akbar Durrani. Renowned educationist Syed Babar Ali is the convener of the committee.



Durrani refused to comment on the matter except that they would soon finalise three names for the post.

“The committee also considered sending all seven names to the PM,” said another source.

A committee member is currently in the US for personal reasons, but he is in contact through email.

One of the shortlisted candidates, Dr Tariq Banuri, is a senior academician who spent most of his time working in the United States.

Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhary is another candidate. Choudhary is currently working as director International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences. He is a scientist in the field of organic chemistry and was closely attached with former HEC head Dr Attaur Rehman.

Prof Dr Anwarul Hassan Gilani is another candidate. He is the chairperson Pakistan Council for Science and Technology.
Former chairperson Dr Mukhtar Ahmed and Dr Muhammad Mukhtar, a former vice-chancellor of the Islamia University of Bahwalpur, are also on the list.

The committee is expected to decide on the candidates within next week. The decision needs to be endorsed by the federal cabinet.
The federal cabinet has two sittings left, considering the once-a-week meeting schedule.