ISLAMABAD: Higher Education Commission (HEC) Executive Director Dr Shaista Sohail is likely to take acting charge as vice chancellor of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) after approval from President Dr Arif Alvi.

Sources in the education ministry told Dawn that it had moved a summary, recommending the name of the HEC ED for appointing her as acting VC QAU to the president.

“ED HEC Dr Shaista Sohail has been recommended by the ministry to act as acting VC QAU through summary sent to president through Prime Minister Office,” a source said.

The post of QAU and Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) vice chancellors fell vacant on Monday upon completion of four-year term of QAU’s Dr Mohammad Ali and AIOU vice chancellor Dr Ziaul Qayyum. Similarly, IIUI Rector Dr Masoom Yasinzai retired last month after completing his tenure.However, the ministry failed to fill the said posts on time, pushing the varsities towards interim arrangements.

Though, there is no interim rector at IIUI, the other day, the ministry appointed a senior faculty member of AIOU Dr Nasir Mehmood as its acting VC.

Sources in the ministry said over 500 candidates had applied in response to an advertisement floated by the Ministry of Education for filling the posts of rector IIUI and VCs of QAU and AIOU.

They said a special cell was helping the search committee with short-listing of potential candidates, before calling them for interviews. The sources said interviews for candidates of VCs of the three universities are likely to be held on Dec 7, 8 and 9 in the ministry by the committee headed by Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain.

Then three summaries, carrying three names against each post, will be sent to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2022