Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The absence of permanent Vice Chancellors (VCs) in 20 public sector universities across the country is causing quality and governance issues in the higher education sector, whereas it is also a question mark on the vigilance and performance of the federal and provincial governments.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s governing province KP is leading the list having nine universities without their permanent VCs followed by Punjab with four universities, whereas three universities of Sindh and two universities in both Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Federal Capital are waiting for permanent appointments.
In KP vacant positions of vice-chancellors of nine public sector universities include Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Hazara University, University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, Islamia College University, Peshawar, Abbottabad University of Science and

Technology, Women University, Swabi, Shuhada-e-Army Public School University of Technology, Nowshera and Women University Mardan.

The Punjab University Lahore, National Textile University Faisalabad, Lahore Collage of Women University and Sargodha University in Punjab, Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, Dow University of Health

Sciences and Karachi University in Sindh, Muzaffarabad University and Poonch University in AJK and Federal Urdu University and National University of Science and Technology in Federal Capital are also facing difficulties due to the absence of permanent VCs.

KP: Hazara University Mansehara is functioning under an acting vice-chancellor for the last three years.
The post of vice-chancellor of the Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST) has been lying vacant for the last 19 months.

Moreover, Professor Dr Iftikhar Hussain has been working as acting vice-chancellor of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Peshawar for the last three months, whereas the University of Swat is also controlled by Professor Dr Jehan Bakht as an acting VC from December 2015. The office of Gomal University’s vice-chancellor is also vacant from December 2015 when its VC Major General (r) Hamid Shafiq resigned.

Punjab: the Lahore College for Women University is working under Dr Uzma Qureshi as caretaker vice chancellor since July 2015, whereas the post of the Rector in National Textile University Faisalabad has become vacant when its Rector Dr Arshad join the HEC as Executive Director.
The Punjab University is also waiting for its permanent Vice Chancellor as presently it is being headed by Dr. Mujahid Kamran on extension.

Sindh: The Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi is being run by Professor Masroor Hameed as acting VC, whereas the posts of VCs in University of Karachi and IBA Karachi are vacant from January and March 2016 respectively.

Federal Capital: The position of NUST’s vice-chancellor is vacant and the Chief of Army Staff General Rahel Shareef has to appoint the VC as he is a chancellor of the varsity, whereas the Federal Urdu University Islamabad is also waiting for the appointment of a permanent VC as its previous head Dr Zafer Iqbal was removed by the President of Pakistan from the post due to allegations of corruption, favouritism, moral turpitude and misuse of authority.

AJK: Professor Dr Khawaja Farooq Ahmed is working as an acting vice-chancellor of AJK University from August 2015, whereas Dr. Abdul Haleem is also working as acting VC in University of Poonch Rawalakot from April 2015.

Minister of State for Federal Education Baligh ur Rehman said, “lthough, the matter related to the absence of permanent VCs is in my knowledge but we have no role in the appointment of VCs in those universities which are chartered through provincial assemblies.”

Chairman HEC Dr Mukhtar Ahmed told Daily Times, “We had already written a letter to all the universities and are going them a reminder in the next week in this regard as absence of heads in universities in such a large number is a matter of concern.”