ISLAMABAD: Though Dr Mukhtar Ahmed has joined the Higher Education Commission (HEC) as its new chairman, problems for him do not seem ending.

Earlier, his appointment as the executive director (ED) of the commission in February 2013 created a controversy with a lawyer later challenging it in the court. The objection against him was that despite a ban on new appointments in the management position (MP) scale, Dr Ahmed was hired as a vice chancellor and then given the ED post in the HEC.

Now with the appointment of Dr Ahmed as the chairman, the HEC in a press release stated: “A group of people has initiated a malicious campaign against the HEC, especially its senior management, for not accepting their illegal demands.”

Aayesha Ikram, the HEC spokesperson, said misinformation about the HEC and its management was being spread by a certain lobby which also included a few former employees of the commission for not agreeing to their unlawful demands.

“We request the media to take notice of such miscreants who are spreading misinformation about the HEC,” she said.

On the other hand, some officials of the HEC believed that the appointment of Dr Ahmed as the HEC chief was in violation of rules.

On Friday, a few dozen students and citizens protested against the appointment of the HEC chief in front of the National Press Club.

The protesters chanted slogans and demanded that the appointment should be reviewed in the interest of the country and the education sector.

They said the appointment of heads of autonomous organisations should be made in accordance with the prescribed laws in a transparent manner. Addressing the protesters, civil society activist Syed Ziaul Noor said people not only in Pakistan but around the world were expecting a transparent and merit-based appointment of the HEC chairman.

“Some elements misguided the prime minister over the important matter and the name of a person who had already been rejected by the prime minister was reconsidered for the post,” he said.

“It is quite strange that a few days earlier the Islamabad High Court was informed by the federal government that the summary comprising three persons, including Dr Ahmed, had been rejected and a new search committee assigned the task for the appointment of the HEC chairperson. But suddenly a person, who was rejected by the prime minister, was appointed again,” he said.

The representatives of various student organisations, Islamabad High Court Bar Association and the traders association were also present.

Asad Khan Jadoon, the president Anjuman Tulba-i-Islam, said the future of the young generation and the higher education sector depended on the policies and decisions of the HEC. Only a non-controversial, sincere and honest leadership of the HEC can resolve their problems.

Syed Waqar Ali, a student, added: “Is it the way appointment of such an important organisation is carried out. Corruption, plagiarism and violations of merit can only be stopped when a person is appointed through a transparent process to head the organisation,” he said.