LAHORE: The Higher Education Department (HED) has, once again, advertised the post of vice chancellor (VC) of the Punjab University.

Last year in April, the HED had advertised the vacancy and announced to conduct the interviews for the post after notifying a VC Search Committee but the interviews were delayed due to political instability in the province that witnessed a change of two successive governments within a short span of time.

Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar’s tenure in the top PU office had ended in June 2022 and Pro-VC Dr Saleem Mazhar was given additional charge of the post.

However, Prof Akhar was given the charge for three months to run the routine matters and after completion of three months, the university worked without a VC for weeks.

Meanwhile, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi-led government gave the additional charge of the post of PU VC to Government College University VC Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi and his tenure would end on Jan 14.

The Usman Buzdar-led government had constituted a search committee on April 6, 2022 for a term of two years for recommendation of a panel comprising three most suitable candidates for the appointment of PU VC.

The committee was led by National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Rector retired Lt Gen Javed Mahmood Bukhari while other members included economist Prof Dr Akmal Hussain, former bureaucrat Syed Tahir Shahbaz, Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) chairperson and Higher Education Department (HED) secretary. One of the members of the committee, Prof Dr Akmal Hussain, had resigned stating.

The post of the VC was also advertised and around 59 candidates, including PU acting VC Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, had applied for the slot.

However, the HED had readvertised the vacancy three days ago.

The Punjab Cabinet also has formed a new search committee, led by former federal minister Shafqat Mahmood, with members including former PU VC Prof Dr Khalid Hameed Sheikh, Prof Dr Arif Nazir Butt, chairperson of the Punjab Higher Education Commission and secretary HED.

The HED called interested professionals to apply for the position till Jan 23.

The search committee would conduct interviews and recommend a panel of three most suitable candidates for the post.

Meanwhile, the posts of vice chancellor in other universities, including University of Okara, Ghazi University Dera Ghazi Khan and Thal University Bhakkar, are also lying vacant and creating academic and administrative problems there.

The government has not yet announced posts of VCs vacant in these universities.

Published in Dawn, january 8th, 2023