ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari appointed Professor Zafar Nawaz Jaspal as acting vice chancellor of the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) on Monday President Zardari, serving as chancellor of QAU, assigned the charge of acting VC to the senior dean and faculty member for a period of three months or until the appointment of a regular incumbent.

The post of VC had fallen vacant two months ago, and the university had been functioning without even a temporary head.

In the absence of an acting or regular VC, more than 200 students struggled to get their hard-earned degrees signed.

Visiting faculty members were also awaiting the VC office, as their dues had been pending for a long time.

The university was additionally facing a financial crisis, with no one to properly pursue funding cases with the federal government.

The previous VC, Prof Niaz Ahmed Akhtar, relinquished charge on February 6 after being appointed chairman of the Higher Education Commission.

Since then, QAU had been operating without an acting or regular VC.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2026