Final round: Siddiqi, Ashraf likely to be VCs of AIOU, QAU
Summary for appointment of new VCs sent to president.
ISLAMABAD:
After a passage of 12 days, a summary for the appointment of the heads of three varsities has finally been forwarded to President Mamnoon Hussain.
On Thursday, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Balighur Rehman and the secretary signed off on list with nine names shortlisted.
A seven-member panel was tasked with interviewing candidates for vice-chancellors for Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) and Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and a rector for the International Islamic University (IIUI). The interviews were held between August 28 and 30 at the ministry.
The ongoing protests by Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the Constitution Avenue, however, delayed the dispatch for almost two weeks, sources said.
The president will finalise three names from the list. The appointments have been pending for more than six months.
According to an official in the ministry, of the nine names, acting IIUI Rector Masoom Yasinzai is expected to be given the chance to drop the word acting from his job title, Shahid Siddiqi, brother of Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on National Affairs Irfan Siddiqui, is expected to get the AIOU job, although Mian Iqbal also has a good chance. Muhammad Ashraf was interviewed by the panelists via Skype from Paris, France. He is considered to be the strongest candidate for the Quaid-e-Azam University post. The minister told The Express Tribune that they tried to select the best of the best for these varsities. “Hopefully the president will sign off in a day or two,” he remarked.
The panel had set 75 marks for each candidates and shortlisted the candidates after examining their academic and administrative experiences, achievements and other professional credentials.
Former Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) vice-chancellor Dr Masoom Yasinzai was appointed IIUI acting rector in February. Yasinzai had been holding the additional charge of IIUI rector for the last two years.
Former Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) vice-chancellor Dr Nazir Ahmed Sangi retired in March 2014 and Dr Asghar Ali Chishti has been given the acting charge of vice-chancellor since then.
Senior QAU faculty member Dr Etizaz Ahmad has been filling in as VC on acting charge since Yasinzai retired in February.
The search committee was headed by Rehman along with the education secretary, HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, former federal secretary Dr UAG Essani, former State Bank governor Dr Ishrat Hussain, Comsats Rector Junaid Zaidi and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission member Dr Sara Safdar.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2014.
After a passage of 12 days, a summary for the appointment of the heads of three varsities has finally been forwarded to President Mamnoon Hussain.
On Thursday, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Balighur Rehman and the secretary signed off on list with nine names shortlisted.
A seven-member panel was tasked with interviewing candidates for vice-chancellors for Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) and Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and a rector for the International Islamic University (IIUI). The interviews were held between August 28 and 30 at the ministry.
The ongoing protests by Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the Constitution Avenue, however, delayed the dispatch for almost two weeks, sources said.
The president will finalise three names from the list. The appointments have been pending for more than six months.
According to an official in the ministry, of the nine names, acting IIUI Rector Masoom Yasinzai is expected to be given the chance to drop the word acting from his job title, Shahid Siddiqi, brother of Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on National Affairs Irfan Siddiqui, is expected to get the AIOU job, although Mian Iqbal also has a good chance. Muhammad Ashraf was interviewed by the panelists via Skype from Paris, France. He is considered to be the strongest candidate for the Quaid-e-Azam University post. The minister told The Express Tribune that they tried to select the best of the best for these varsities. “Hopefully the president will sign off in a day or two,” he remarked.
The panel had set 75 marks for each candidates and shortlisted the candidates after examining their academic and administrative experiences, achievements and other professional credentials.
Former Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) vice-chancellor Dr Masoom Yasinzai was appointed IIUI acting rector in February. Yasinzai had been holding the additional charge of IIUI rector for the last two years.
Former Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) vice-chancellor Dr Nazir Ahmed Sangi retired in March 2014 and Dr Asghar Ali Chishti has been given the acting charge of vice-chancellor since then.
Senior QAU faculty member Dr Etizaz Ahmad has been filling in as VC on acting charge since Yasinzai retired in February.
The search committee was headed by Rehman along with the education secretary, HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, former federal secretary Dr UAG Essani, former State Bank governor Dr Ishrat Hussain, Comsats Rector Junaid Zaidi and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission member Dr Sara Safdar.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2014.