HEC chief’s appointment: IHC summons education secretary to explain delay

The court had directed the govt to choose a successor by February 12.

ISLAMABAD:

The capital’s high court on Tuesday summoned the education secretary on April 14 to explain the delay in the appointment of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) chief.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui directed Education Secretary Muhammad Ashan Raja to explain in person why an HEC chairman had not been appointed eight months after the former chairman retired.

During the last hearing, the court had ordered the government to appoint a successor by February 12,. The public interest petition was filed by former additional district and sessions judge Khawaja Aurangzeb last year.

On Tuesday, when the court took up the matter, Barrister Afzal Hussain, the counsel for the petitioner, informed the court that the post was still vacant. “Despite a lapse of eight months, the government has yet to appoint an HEC chief,” he said.

The counsel said that under the HEC Ordinance, the prime minister was empowered to select the new chief, but he had not chosen anyone so far.  He requested the court to direct him to appoint a new chief. Education Joint Secretary Tariq Pervez informed the court that a selection committee had been constituted by the prime minister and the selection process is under way. He said the final decision would soon be announced.

The court was not convinced by the claim and noted that there had been an inordinate delay in the chairperson’s appointment. “Eight months have passed since the former chief retired. Is there any justification for the unnecessary delay?” questioned Justice Siddiqui.

After the expiry of former HEC chief Javaid Laghari’s term on August 26, 2013, the government appointed Peshawar University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Vice-Chancellor Imtiaz Hussain Gilani as the acting chief. His term ended on February 12, 2014, but the prime minister extended it till a permanent chief could be appointed.

Earlier, it was reported in this newspaper that Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal had sent three names and the prime minister was likely to select the new HEC chief from among them. Some 103 applications were received from across the country, 21 of whom were shortlisted and 18 were called for interviews by the search committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2014.