LAHORE: The Punjab government on Monday appointed vice chancellors of seven public sector universities across the province.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz met 11 candidates for vice-chancellor (VC) positions at public universities on Sept 2. The CM also conducted a meeting with seven candidates for VCs positions at public sector women universities in the province on Sept 16.

The government had issued the notifications of seven VCs including Prof Dr Muhammad Ali Shah as VC of the University of the Punjab, Prof Dr Shahid Munir as VC of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore, Prof Dr Zubair Iqbal as VC of the Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Prof Dr Amir Azam Khan as VC of the Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology Rahim Yar Khan, Prof Dr Aqif Anwar Chaudhry as VC of the University of Education Lahore, Prof Dr Inayatullah Khan as VC of the University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila, and Prof Dr Ahmed Shuja as VC of the University of Gujrat.

A search committee, led by former bureaucrat Ismail Qureshi and including members such as retired Lt-Gen Muhammad Asghar, Farkhanda Wasim Afzal, and Amjad Saqib, had conducted interviews for the appointment of regular VCs in general public sector universities of the province in August.

The notification of 11 universities including Government College University, Faisalabad, Islamia University Bahawalpur, Information Technology University in Lahore and University of Narowal, Women University, Multan, LCWU, Women University, Sialkot, Government Sadiq College Women University Bahawalpur, Government College Women University, Madina Town, Faisalabad, Home Economics University, Lahore, and Fatima Jinnah University, Rawalpindi were yet to be issued.

Earlier, Punjab Governor/Chancellor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan raised concerns over the appointment of VCs in universities while Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari reminded him of his “limited role” in the selection process.

However, after the intervention of a senior PPP leader, the governor had issued the notifications for appointment of vice chancellors in public universities.

A source claimed that the governor would soon leave the country on a personal visit to some foreign country and the acting governor would issue the notifications of the appointments in remaining universities this week.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2024