ECP green-lights VCs’ appointments

Polls supervisor says a prior concurrence might be solicited before issuing appointment order

LAHORE:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) directed all the chief secretaries on Friday to initiate the selection process in the respective provinces to the vacant posts of the vice chancellors of the public sector universities. This initiative was taken in light of 25 vacancies of the vice chancellors.

The ECP maintained that on completion of selection process, a prior concurrence of the polls supervisor might be solicited before issuing the appointment orders of the selected candidate. The Higher Education Department (HED) had requested the services secretary for taking up the matter with the ECP and seek its concurrence to undertake the process of appointments with view to avoid impending administrative and financial crises in these 25 public sector universities.

“The mandate and duty of appointment of regular vice chancellors of the above universities is an issue which cannot be deferred or postponed till the formation of the newly elected government in the province,” the HED had said. “These public sector universities in the province are functioning without lawfully appointed regular vice chancellors, therefore, the core functions of these universities such as dispensing of the academic functions, administrative controls, decision making, financial control etc… is marred by ad hocism.”

On August 18, 2023, the ECP had granted concurrence for the issuance of advertisement to fill the post of vice chancellor of Islamia University, Bahawalpur only. However, the HED said that it would be appropriate that the process was carried out for all the vacant slots, rather a single university.

In the letter, the HED also mentioned that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had directed on April 12, 2023 for completing the process of appointment of vice chancellor of the University of the Punjab within two months.
The Election Act, 2017, empowered the caretaker government to carry out activities in the public interest which were urgent in nature. The HED said that the subject of appointment of regular vice chancellors was also a matter of extreme importance and prominence.

According to HED, the lapse of statutory tenures left these universities without lawfully appointed vice-chancellors, disrupting core functions such as academic processes, administrative controls, decision-making, and financial management.

HED asserted that waiting for the newly-elected government is not feasible, given the urgent need for appointments. The ECP had earlier granted concurrence on August 18, 2023, for advertising the vice chancellor position at Islamia University, Bahawalpur only.