PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government intends to re-advertise the positions of vice-chancellors of 19 public sector universities in the province whose appointment process has already been completed, according to sources.

They said that summary for appointment of the 19 vice-chancellors already reached the table of Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur a week ago and his approval was awaited.

The vacant positions of vice-chancellors were advertised during the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf when Mahmood Khan was chief minister. The academic search committee for the appointment of vice-chancellors conducted interviews of aspirants for VCs of 19 universities from January 22 to 26.

Sources said that the process for appointment of VCs of 19 public universities had been completed two months ago. They added that provincial government was reluctant to notify the names of VCs without any justification, prolonging the unnecessary delay.

Process for appointment on varsities’ top slots was completed two months ago

“Yes, it is under consideration to re-advertise the posts of VCs because their recruitment process was completed in haphazard,” a senior government functionary privy to the development told Dawn.

Secondly, he said, the process for the appointment of VCs had taken place in the tenure of the previous caretaker government. Such high and responsible positions couldn’t be filled by the caretaker government, he added.

Other reason to re-advertise the positions of VCs was that the appointment of two members of the higher powered academic search committee for the appointment of VCs was also carried out by the caretaker government, said the official.

He said that under the existing procedure mentioned in the law for the appointment of VCs, the authority of chief minister existed nowhere rather the entire power rested with the academic search committee.

Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan Afridi, when contacted, said that there were many loopholes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities Act, 2012, especially pertaining to the appointment of VCs.

“We will soon amend KP Universities Act, 2012, to remove the flaws,” he said. He added that government wanted to appoint competent VCs to steer the universities out of the existing financial problems.

The minister said that the functions of universities were not affected with the absence of regular VCs as pro-VCs were looking after all affairs of the universities.

Sources in civil secretariat told Dawn that it would be a blunder of the provincial government if the vacant positions of VCs were re-advertised as the process of their appointments was completed according to law. They said that academicians, who were on top of the panel among the three candidates for a post of VC, would definitely challenge the decision in a court of law.

They said that the existing procedures for VC appointment were framed in the first tenure of PTI government in KP from 2013 to 2018 on the directives of the founding chairman of PTI Imran Khan and with consultations of known scientist and former federal minister Attaur Rehman.

Sources said that all powers for appointment of VCs were given to academic search committee to end political interference in posting of universities’ heads.

It is pertinent to mention here that 24 public sector universities in the province were already functioning without regular VCs while the tenure of five more heads of universities completed on March 16.

Sources said that the VCs of Fata University Dara Adamkhel, Islamia College University Peshawar, University of Buner, Women University Mardan and University of Chitral completed their tenure on March 16. They said that eight universities had been functioning without regular VCs for the last one year.

They said that the public sector universities working without regular VCs for the last one year included Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan, Khushal Khan Khattak University Karak, University of Agriculture Dera Ismail Khan, University of Lakki Marwat, Hazara University Mansehra, University of Engineering and Technology Mardan and Women University Swabi.

Similarly, seven universities including Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Shuhada-i-APS University of Technology Nowshera, Kohat University of Science and Technology, University of Peshawar, University of Science and Technology Bannu and University of Engineering Peshawar have been functioning without regular VCs for the last three months.

Sources said that the newly-established universities including University of Agriculture Swat, University of Engineering and Applied Sciences Swat, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Swat and University of Shangla were also working without regular VCs.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities Act, 2021, has empowered the academic search committee to conduct interviews of candidates for the post of vice-chancellors and recommend to the government a panel of three persons for selection of a VC from each panel.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2024