LAHORE: The Punjab Higher Education Department (PHED) has made no headway in the appointments of vice chancellors (VCs) for 13 public universities of the province.

The universities working without regular VCs are the Lahore College for Women University, the Women’s University of Multan, the University of Home Economics in Lahore, the Information Technology University (ITU), the Punjab Tianjin University of Technology, the University of Engineering and Technology in Taxila, the Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, the Government College for Women University in Faisalabad, the Government College for Women University of Sialkot, the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad, the Government College University in Faisalabad, the PMAS-Arid Agriculture University in Rawalpindi and the University of Narowal.

Some of the universities have been working without VCs for over one year or so.

The VCs of two agriculture and engineering universities each will be appointed by the industries and agriculture departments. The ITU is working without even an acting VC after the passage of 25 days after Dr Umer Saif’s contract expired.

The PHED appointed ITU Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Dr Akmal Hussain as VC on a temporary basis but he refused to do so.

Recently, the PHED appointed VCs at the University of Jhang, University of Okara, Ghazi University and University of Sahiwal.

Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association president Prof Dr Mehboob Hussain said the government was ruining the educational atmosphere of the universities with ad-hoc VCs.

He said the universities working without regular VCs were facing academic and administrative problems and no one was there to solve the issues.He said the government should give autonomy to the universities that is delaying appointment of regular VCs and registrars in universities.

He demanded the immediate appointment of VCs.

Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairman Dr Nizamuddin told Dawn the appointments of VCs were delayed because the incumbent government had decided to change appointment criteria for the posts.

He said the committee constituted to develop new criteria had submitted its recommendations to the government. The cabinet has yet to approve them.

He said they were hopeful that the cabinet would soon approve the new criteria and the process would begin to form search committees that would start appointment process.

The PHEC chairman will also complete its four-year term on December 15. Also, 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, will complete their four years term on Dec 16.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government also could not appoint the chairmen of seven boards of intermediate and secondary education in the province, lying vacant for the last half and a year.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2018