In Sindh, public varsities to get finance directors ‘shortly’

Summary containing three names for each of 17 universities sent to chief minister

KARACHI: Sindh's government universities may not have to wait much longer for finance directors. The province's education authorities have finally narrowed down the pool of candidates for the vacant positions in 17 varsities, The Express Tribune has learnt.

A search committee set up for this purpose has sent a summary containing a list of 51 names to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, the controlling authority in this matter. A panel of three candidates has been shortlisted for each of the 17 universities after a selection process that included a written test and interview. The names of certain candidates have been recommended for more than one university as well, revealed the summary which is available with The Express Tribune.

The three names proposed in the summary for the vacant finance director position in Karachi University are Tariq Kaleem, Amir Bashir and Nadeem Javeri. Kaleem, it should be pointed out, has served the university in the same capacity during the tenure of then vice-chancellor Dr Muhammad Qaiser. He resigned from the post on August 2016.

Bashir, meanwhile, has also been recommended for the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto University of Law (SZABUL), where he currently serves as acting finance director.

Other names proposed for vacant finance director posts include Zainul Abidin for Sindh University Jamshoro, Mujahid Ali Sheikh for Dow Medical University and Adil Rasheed for Jinnah Sindh Medical University. Aftab Ahmed has been recommended for appointment as the finance director of Sindh Madressatul Islam University while Dr Hakim Ali's name has been put forth for the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University Lyari. Anil Kumar is among the candidates proposed for Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam.

Other universities which are currently working without a finance director and have had a list of candidates proposed in the summary include Dawood Engineering University, Liaquat Medical University Jamshoro, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Sakrand, Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur, Peoples University of Medical and Health Sciences for Women Nawabshah, Shaheed Benazir Medical University Larkana, Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University of Technology and Skill Development Khairpur and the University of Sufism and Modern Sciences Bhit Shah.

The summary, it should be mentioned, does not cover the newly established Government College University Hyderabad Kali Mori, Begum Nusrat Bhutto University Sukkur and Sheikh Ayaz University Shikarpur. Although these government universities are also currently working without a finance director, the process to fill these vacant positions has not been initiated as yet.

NED University Karachi, IBA Karachi, Mehran Engineering University, Quaid-e-Awam University Nawabshah and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University (Benazirabad) Nawabshah, on the other hand, have permanent officers working as finance directors.

Nearly 400 candidates appeared for the written test conducted as part of the selection process for vacant finance director positions. The test was held at IBA Karachi on July 28. The move to conduct a written test drew the ire of many hopefuls, who complained that the announcement was made after the positions were advertised.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2019.