ISLAMABAD: Delay in appointment of rector Comsats University Islamabad (CUI) and International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) president has raised concerns among the faculty members.

The post of Comsats rector has been lying vacant since July last year while the post of IIUI president since July 16 this year after the four-year tenure of Dr Hathal-al-Otaibi ended. In the absence of rector and president, both universities are being run on ad-hoc basis.

The Ministry of Science and Technology is the line ministry of Comsats while Ministry of Federal Educational and Professional Training deals with the IIUI. Sources in the Ministry of Science and Technology said the issue of appointing Comsats’ rector was near completion as a search committee had finalised its task of shortlisting five candidates.

They said the committee’s recommendations were supposed to be placed before a special meeting of the university’s senate on July 22 to discuss the one-point agenda of appointing the CUI rector. However, the sources said the said meeting was postponed as the federal minister for information technology, who is CUI pro-chancellor, was not available.

They said now the meeting would likely be held on August 15 to finalise the appointment of rector.

In July last year, following the acceptance of the resignation of Rector Comsats Dr Mohammad T. Afzal, the university’s chancellor, the then president Dr Arif Alvi, gave the look-after charge to senior dean Prof Dr Sajid Qamar. He is still running the affairs on look-after basis. Moreover, several other important offices of the university including registrar office are being run on ad-hoc basis.

Meanwhile, after the retirement of IIUI president, the acting charge was given to Prof Dr Mohammad Sarwar, who is the vice president administration and finance.

According to IIUI, any vice president appointed by the Board of Governors could be given charge of acting president. But a case was filed in the Islamabad High Court against the appointment of Dr Sarwar, who according to the petitioner, had not been appointed as vice president by the board of governors, hence, could not be given the charge of IIUI’s acting president. The university’s spokesperson, however, was of the view that the acting charge was legal and in accordance with the university rules and regulations.

Meanwhile, sources said a few days ago the education ministry had moved a summary to the Presidency, requesting for a meeting of the Board of Trustees (BOT) as President Asif Ali Zardari was the IIUI chancellor. “In the upcoming meeting of BOT of IIUI, besides other agenda items, the issue of appointment of the university’s president will also come under discussion,” a source said.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2024