'Governor's varsity appointments illegal'

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, has issued a notification appointing syndicate and senate members for 21 universities across the province. However, K-P Minister for Higher Education, Meena Khan Afridi, has termed the notification illegal, calling it a "waste of paper and ink".

According to the governor's notification, key appointments include Engineer Shakirullah and Arbab Liaqat as senate members of the University of Engineering, Peshawar, with Syed Ashfaq Hussain included in the syndicate.

Similarly, Arbab Zarak Khan has been named a senate member and Ahmad Kundi added to the selection board of Khyber Medical University, Peshawar.

In the Agricultural University of Peshawar, senate members include Professor Dr Liaqat and Engineer Sayar Muhammad, while Sher Muhammad Khalil has been added to the syndicate. The University of Swabi's senate members include Dawood Jan, Advocate Javed Iqbal, and Advocate Safdar Ali, with Gohar Inqilabi and Ali Khan appointed to the selection board. For Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women's University, senate members now include Ayesha Razzaq, Gul Meena Bilal, and Sameera Khan.

On the other hand, Provincial Higher Education Minister Meena Khan Afridi has strongly criticised the governor's actions, alleging favoritism. Afridi claims the governor has deliberately included individuals who contested under the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) banner.

"This notification is unconstitutional and driven by nepotism. The governor is rewarding his associates through this move," Afridi stated. The minister further argued that the governor no longer holds the authority to appoint university officials, as the role of chancellor has been transferred to the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

"Despite the change, the governor is attempting to favor his allies through delaying tactics. However, the provincial government will not allow such political interference and misuse of authority," Afridi added.

This controversy highlights the growing tension between the governor's office and the provincial government over university administration, raising questions about transparency and fairness in such critical appointments.

On December 3, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government introduced an amendment to the universities' law, transferring the powers of the university chancellor from the governor to the chief minister.

The amendment also granted the chief minister authority to appoint vice-chancellors. The proposed bill was presented in the provincial assembly, designating the chief minister as the chancellor of all public sector universities.

According to the bill, vice-chancellors will serve a four-year term, subject to a mid-term performance review by a government-formed evaluation committee.