KARACHI, Dec 26: President of Pakistan, who is also the chancellor of federal government-run universities, has appointed Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui as vice chancellor of the Federal Government Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology, it was learnt on Thursday.

Official sources said Mr Pirzada, a senior teacher and former pro-vice chancellor of Karachi University, would assume charge as the first vice chancellor of the newly-established university. He has been appointed for three years, added the sources.

The Urdu University, a formal charter of which was announced some forty days back, at present comprises two campuses — one belonging to the Urdu Arts College, Karachi, and the other to Urdu Science College, Karachi.

The university’s headquarters are in Islamabad.

Talking to Dawn on Thursday, the chairman of Higher Education Commission, Prof Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, said he had recommended Prof Pirzada Qasim’s name for the said post in view of his work in the field of Urdu literature as well as sciences.

“In view of his long academic and administrative experiences, I am hopeful that he would meet the challenges of setting up an Urdu University in the country,” he stated.

He also said the two federal government Urdu colleges in Karachi, after promulgation of the varsity charter, had ceased to work as independent colleges. Work for adding another campus to the university outside Karachi was under way and things would materialize soon, he added.