FAPUASA takes strong exceptions to Murad's remarks

Questions CM's failure as chancellor to reject unsuitable candidates as VCs

KARACHI:

The Sindh chapter of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has taken strong exception to the recent remarks of the Sindh chief minister regarding the appointment of VCs at public universities in the province.

In an open letter addressed to the chief minister, FAPUASA's President Dr Ikhtiar Ali Ghumro and General Secretary Abdul Rahman Nagraj expressed serious concerns about the "inefficiencies in the governance" of higher education institutions and called for urgent reforms in the process of VC appointments and university management.

The chief minister has admitted in a recent speech to having appointed 38 VCs over the years and raised alarms about corruption and harassment among some of those appointed. However, the open letter criticises the chief minister for failing to take accountability for these appointments, which they argue were often politically motivated and not based on merit.

"Instead of deflecting blame onto universities, it is high time to hold yourself and your administration accountable for these decisions," the letter states.

The FAPUASA has long highlighted the need for merit-based appointments of VCs, but many appointments, they argue, have been made based on political affiliations and personal connections.

A key point of contention has been the composition and effectiveness of the search committees tasked with recommending candidates for VC positions. The open letter claims that these committees, often led by bureaucrats and a handful of retired VCs, conduct "superficial" interviews lasting mere minutes and frequently present candidates whose names were already known due to political ties.