LAHORE: The Punjab government has yet to fill posts of vice-chancellors (VCs) in 13 public sector universities, mostly lying vacant for one year.

The cause for delay in the appointments is government’s plan to enforce a model which was enforced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in the last five years.

Provincial Minister for Higher Education Raja Yasir Humayun Sarfraz tweeted, “People concerned about vacant VC posts. Plz rest assured we are coming up with a transparent policy (similar to the one in KP) and will nominate a high profile search committee to appoint the best possible VCs in all those universities by the end of the year”.

The government is also dragging its heels on adopting the KP model.

The 13 universities yet to get regular VCs include: the Lahore College for Women’s University; Women’s University of Multan; University of Home Economics of Lahore; University of Jhang; Information Technology University (ITU) of Lahore; Punjab Tianjin University of Technology; University of Engineering and Technology of Taxila; Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences; University of Agriculture of Faisalabad; PMAS-Arid Agriculture University of Rawalpindi; University of Narowal; Government College for Women’s University of Faisalabad; and Government College for Women’s University of Sialkot.

Search committees during the interim government conducted interviews of candidates for the University of Jhang and the ITU. The Punjab Higher Education Commission (HED) recommended three top candidates for both universities for appointment to then interim chief minister Dr Hassan Askari. After that, the HED again sent the summary to Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, who halted the process for appointment of VCs for the University of Jhang and the ITU.

One of the shortlisted candidates for the two universities told Dawn that the government had implemented the orders of the Supreme Court and appointed VCs in the Punjab University, Ghazi University of Dera Ghazi Khan, University of Sahiwal and University of Okara. He said the interim government also followed the directions of the Supreme Court but Mr Buzdar halted the process.

He said the new government might try to change laws to make a single search committee for appointing VCs in 13 universities.

Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr Nizamuddin told Dawn the government should have appointed VCs of Jhang and IT universities. He said that for the remaining universities, the government should constitute separate search committees for health universities, agriculture, engineering, information technology, women, and general universities.

He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa model would need new legislation which could further delay the appointments.

Higher Education Department Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch told Dawn that the process of appointing VCs was on hold and would be resumed soon after constituting search committees.

Other than the 13 varsities, four other public varsities would also be looking for VCs as their incumbent VCs would complete their four-year tenure this year. They are Prof Dr Mohammad Ali of the Government College University, Faisalabad, Prof Dr Qaiser Mushtaq of the Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Prof Dr Fazal Ahmed Khalid of the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, and Prof Dr Ziaul Qayyum of the University of Gujrat.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2018