ISLAMABAD, Nov 29: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) executive director, Prof Dr Sohail Naqvi, was removed from the post on Thursday.

Qamar Zaman, the secretary ministry of education and training, was given the additional charge, it has been learnt.

About 70 contractual employees of the HEC held a protest and warned that they would go on a strike if Dr Naqvi was not reinstated.

On the other hand, another group of HEC employees welcomed the appointment of the new executive director.

Sources in the HEC said Mr Zaman reached the office early in the morning and informed Dr Javed Leghari, the chairman of the commission, that the Establishment Division had appointed him as the executive director. Soon, a notification also reached from the Establishment Division. Mr Zaman submitted his joining report and later left the HEC.

On the other hand, the protesting employees gathered outside the HEC offices and chanted slogans, demanding ‘politics’ with the HEC should be stopped. They also called for the regularisation of the contract employees.

Noor Amina Malik, a management officer in the HEC, said Dr Naqvi wanted to regularise the services of the contractual staff and was to take a decision in this regard on Thursday.

However, the group of regular employees assured Mr Zaman that they would support him.

It may be recalled that the governing body of the HEC on August 27 had extended the services of Dr Naqvi for another four-year term (for the third time).

However, later the Establishment Division in a letter to the HEC maintained that appointment and extension of contract in the management scale was the prerogative of the prime minister and the commission cannot extend the contract of its executive director. The HEC sent a report to the prime minister secretariat but got no reply.

An official in the HEC requesting not to be identified said that about six months back the administrative and financial control of the HEC was given to the ministry of education and training.

But the decision of the government was challenged in the Sindh High Court which issued a stay order.

“Now the secretary of the same ministry has been sent to the HEC to head its administrative job,” he said.

Talking to Dawn, Dr Naqvi said it was strange that the Establishment Division had not sent any notification about his status. “So I am still the executive director of the HEC. Section 11 of the HEC rules clearly states that the commission is the appointing authority. The post of the ED is protected under the rules.” He said the ED of the commission cannot be removed without a genuine reason.