Punjab govt, governor at odds over appointment of VCs

The appointment of vice chancellors of 25 public sector universities across Punjab has put the governor and the Punjab government at odds.

Punjab Governor Sardar Salim Haider stated while speaking to the media that the list of VCs sent by the search committee was not based on merit.

He also raised questions about the recommendations for the appointments coming from the Chief Minister's Office.

He emphasised that decisions will be made on merit and legal consultations were being sought, which had delayed the appointments.

As per the law, the search committee forwards the lists of the names of three professors for each appointment, shortlisted on the basis of seniority, qualification, reputation and no ongoing corruption inquiries.

The chief minister approves the names and the recommendations are then sent to the governor for approval. When the list of the VCs reached Governor Salim Haider, he received information suggesting that it was marred by favouritism.

Consequently, the governor decided to call 18 of the 25 recommended candidates for interviews.

The move led to a controversy, with the governor asserting that the professors who were not included in the search committee's list but named in the final list had ongoing corruption inquiries against them, with evidence to support the claim.

On the other hand, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari stated that the governor's role is to approve the appointments of VCs made by the committee and the cabinet. In a statement, she emphasised that the decisions of the cabinet hold significant importance.

The selection committee had conducted interviews of the candidates aspiring for the posts and recommended experienced aspirants.

She said the governor's role should be limited to endorsing the cabinet's decisions, not rejecting them.