President orders probe into FUU VC's appointment

Nearly six months after the appointment of Dr Zabita Khan Shinwari as Vice Chancellor of the Federal Urdu University, President Asif Ali Zardari has directed the federal education secretary to review the hiring in accordance with legal and policy guidelines.

The appointment has already sparked a controversy because Dr Shinwari was appointed VC despite being third on the merit list.

President Zaradri, who also serves as the chancellor of FUU, took the action following a letter from Dr Jehan Bakht, VC of Agricultural University Peshawar. In the letter, Dr Bakht criticised the appointment process, stating that the FUU Senate had ranked him first on the merit list, yet Dr Shinwari, who was ranked third, was appointed instead.

Dr. Bakht has requested a formal review of the decision, highlighting his qualifications and referencing the university's act and Supreme Court rulings on similar issues.

Dr Shinwari's appointment was made by former president Dr. Arif Alvi. Since the appointment, the university has faced ongoing issues, including non-payment or delays in salaries, problems with the house ceiling, and termination of contract employees. These issues are attributed to extreme negligence and a lack of attention from authorities, including the university's Chancellor Secretariat, the Federal Ministry of Education, and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

The university administration has sent several letters to the relevant authorities about financial difficulties and payment issues but has yet to receive a response. Compounding the problems is Dr Shinwari's frequent absences from the campus, having made around four foreign trips over the past six months without appointing an acting VC. This has left the university either without effective leadership or managed remotely by Dr Shinwari.

When contacted by The Express Tribune, Dr Shinwari stated that he has been actively seeking solutions by communicating with the HEC and the Federal Ministry of Education and requesting financial assistance from the Sindh government. However, he has not received a positive response. He further stated that the pension fund of Rs1 billion, which was not transferred when the college was upgraded to a university in 2002, remains pending. Access to this fund could resolve many financial issues, including timely pension payments.