Notification issued: Embattled VC of QAU finally replaced

New vice chancellor for AIOU announced, while govt retains Yasinzai as IIUI rector

The controversial vice chancellor of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Javed Ashraf was finally replaced by the government on Friday.

According to a notification, Professor Dr Mohammad Ali has been asked to take charge as vice chancellor of Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU). He has already served in Government College University Faisalabad as vice chancellor.

With his appointment the months-long tension in the premier university of Pakistan has come to an end. All through the year, the Academic Staff Association of QAU had been protesting againsdt policies of Dr Javed Ashraf and demanding government to replace him.

In March this year, the campus remained shut for weeks as faculty and students demanded resignation of Dr Ashraf.

Meanwhile, the distance learning facility of the country, Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) also got a new vice chancellor.

The notification issued on Friday announced appointment of Prof Dr Ziaul Qayyum as vice chancellor of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU). He has already served as Vice Chancellor in University of Gujrat.

Prof Qayyum replaces Acting Vice Chancellor Dr Nasir Mahmood, who was holding the fort after retirement of Dr Shahid Siddiqui.

After completing his four year tenure, Professor Dr Masoom Yasinzai has been re-appointed as International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) rector. Top IIUI officials and employees felicitated him and termed his second appointment as a vital development for the progress of university.

Yasinzai had his primary education from Kuchlak, a suburb of Quetta and his research and academic activities date back to 1980 when he started teaching at the University of Balochistan. He is also known for his administrative and academic contributions in many universities while he has played a vital role in launching the civil engineering programme and Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences at IIUI with his personal efforts.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2018.