RAWALPINDI, Jan 26: Arid Agriculture University finally got a permanent vice-chancellor on Saturday after a year-long wrangling between chief minister and Governor Punjab over the appointment.

A notification issued by Chief Minister Secretariat on Saturday stated that Prof Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad has been appointed as vice-chancellor of Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi.

After the retirement of Prof Dr Khalid Mehmood as vice chancellor of the Arid University in February last year, there had been a tussle between former Punjab Governor, Sardar Latif Khosa and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif over the new head of the university.

The advertisement for hiring a vice-chancellor for the university, issued by the Governor House in September last year, was cancelled by the Chief Minister Secretariat and an attempt by the latter to appoint a university head was vetoed by the former.

Official sources told Dawn on Saturday that the appointment of new vice-chancellor became possible after Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mahmud took over as new Punjab Governor.

“The 20th amendment gives power to chief minister to appoint university’s vice chancellors but after the consultation with the governor. I think both the offices are now on board over this issue,” official at CM Secretariat told this reporter.

Students and faculty members at Arid University expressed the hope that new vice-chancellor would streamline the university affairs and bring dirty politics in the campus to an end.

Prof Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad got Doctorate Degree in Agricultural Engineering from Iowa State University and is author of more than 90 international and national research publications including research papers, review and popular articles, bulletins and technical reports.

Before appointment as Vice Chancellor of the university, Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad   was serving as Dean, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF). He joined UAF in 1981 as a lecturer, Department of Irrigation and Drainage UAF.

Talking to Dawn, Dr Ahmad said he would make the university a hub of research activities adding setting up laboratory in the university would be his first priority as, according to him, without well equipped laboratory, research is nothing.

“I will ensure that there is no politics in the campus. The only thing we have to do here is to ensure higher education. We have to make the difference. And we can do it,” the new university’s head said.