LAHORE: The Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) on Thursday notified search committees for the appointment of vice chancellors (VCs) in 27 universities of the province.

On April 30, the provincial cabinet had formed three search committees for appointment of VCs of general, new and women universities.

According to a notification available with Dawn, former bureaucrat Ismail Qureshi will lead the committee for general category universities, with members including retired Lt-Gen Muhammad Asghar, Farkhanda Wasim Afzal and Amjad Saqib.

They have been tasked with selecting VCs for the Punjab University, Government College University, Lahore, Government College University, Faisalabad, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Islamia University Bahawalpur, University of Gujrat, University of Education in Lahore, University of Narowal, University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore and UET Taxila.

For the new category universities, Zafar Iqbal Qureshi was appointed as head of the committee. Its members are Farkhanda Wasim Afzal, Ijaz Munir and Prof Nizamuddin. They have been tasked with selecting VCs for University of Kamalia, University of Layyah, University of Bhakkar, University of Okara, University of Jhang and Ghazi University, DGK.

The search committee for women’s universities will be headed by economist Dr Ayesha Ghaus-Pasha with retired Capt Zahid Saeed, Dr Talat Naseer Pasha and Dr Rukhsana David as its members. They have been tasked with selecting VCs for Lahore College for Women University, Government College University for Women, Sialkot, Government Sadiq College Women University, Bahawalpur, Women University, Multan, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Government College Women University, Faisalabad and University of Home Economics, Lahore.

However, the search committee for appointment of VCs in Khwaja Fareed University of Information Technology in Rahim Yar Khan and Information Technology University, Lahore, was not notified.

Sources claimed that the government would put the agenda of the appointment of VCs in these two universities before the cabinet to reconstitute the search committees.

The source claimed that the search committee was being changed to include experts related to the IT sector as its members.

The HED had also issued the criteria for the post of VC of every university and would float a fresh advertisement for VCs’ positions and slightly modified the appointment criteria. Candidates scoring 80 points are now eligible for interview, instead of previous 75 points, and those above the age of 65 years are deemed ineligible for the post.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2024