LAHORE: Governor Balighur Rehman has written a letter to Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi to appoint vice chancellors (VCs) and other administrative staff in universities.

Six universities have been without regular VCs for the last six to eight months, which are the University of Okara, Punjab University, University of Layyah, Thal University of Bhakkar, Ghazi Khan University and the University of Jhang.

The posts of pro-vice chancellor, registrar, treasurer, and controller of examinations were also vacant in several universities. The governor’s secretariat also sent the letter to other administrative departments of the province and shared the advertisement for the vacant posts of VCs.

The governor ordered that VCs, registrars, pro-vice chancellors, treasurers, and controllers of other universities be appointed six months before their terms expired.

The governor also stated that unfilled posts were causing academic and administrative issues in universities.

Meanwhile, the posts of chairman of several boards of intermediate and secondary education (BISEs) are also vacant.

These boards included Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, and Sargodha.

Only Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi BISEs have full-time chairmen, while the commissioners of the respective divisions are heading the boards as stopgap arrangements. The higher education department advertised the vacant posts in July 2022, but BISEs did not get chairmen.

Public and private school administrators said that students and school administrators were facing problems due to the delay in the appointment of the chairman in the BISEs. They demanded that the government take measures and appoint the chairman in every BISE.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2023