OKARA: The University of Okara (UoO) has been without vice chancellor (VC), registrar and treasure for the last 18 months, due to which the university administration and students are facing issues for day-to-day working.

In April 2016, the Punjab government had notified the establishment of the university and for its earlier months, then University of Education VC Dr Prof Rauf-i-Azam was given the UoO VC charge which was later withdrawn.

Now, the university has been without key officials. The university administration, faculty members and more than 4,000 students of 17 disciplines are facing problems and it is a deadlock-like situation.

They demanded the Punjab government and the Punjab Higher Education Department fill the posts. The UoO, however, got its syndicate notified by the department.

The members include Mazhar Ali Khan (retired federal secretary), Shahnaz Zafar (Okara Chamber of Commerce president), Chaudhry Arshad Iqbal (social figure), Dr Muhammad Aslam (businessman, social worker) Ms Zahid Ikram (principal of the Government Degree College for Women, Renala Khurd), MPAs Samina Noor Rai and Iftikhar Husain Chacharr and Dr Fazal Ahmad Khalid (vice chancellor of the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore).

Provincial Minister for Higher Education Syed Ali Raza Gilani is the chairman of the syndicate.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2017