Govt varsities directed to recruit staff on contract basis only

Prior permission mandatory if key position recruitment on regular basis is necessary

KARACHI:

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has instructed the public sector universities in the province not to hire faculty members and other staff at key positions on regular basis. Instead the appointments should be made on contract basis. A notification in this regard has been issued, which further says that universities should not recruit the non-teaching staff while the management has been instructed that no key position recruitment would be made without prior permission from the controlling authority.

These extraordinary directives have been issued by the chief minister through two separate letters sent to the universities by the Sindh Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Department of Universities and Boards in connection with the approval of the budget for the current financial year.

In the letter from the CM, it has been further said that the appointments of teachers should be made on the contract basis in universities, however, in case the appointments on contract basis are not suitable, the universities should make such appointments under the Contributory Pension Scheme.

Moreover, the letter sent to 30 public universities and degree-awarding institutes by the HEC director of finance also directed universities to establish Pension Funds within their institutions and allocate funding from their financial resources. The letter emphasises strict compliance with the chief minister's orders.

A separate letter from the Department of Universities and Boards has instructed universities to stop the recruitment of non-teaching staff with immediate effect. If some recruitments are deemed necessary, prior approval must be obtained. It has further been directed in the letter that the universities should initiate the appointment process for registrars, controllers of examinations, deans of faculties, and department chairpersons within two months, following the rules highlighted in the Universities Act.

It also emphasised to hold meetings of all statutory bodies, including the Senate, Syndicate, Academic Council, and Finance and Planning Committee, within the time frame specified in the Act. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action against vice-chancellors and registrars.

It may be mentioned that the directives of the chief minister to the Department of Universities and Boards have been issued following the Supreme Court decision.