LAHORE: The ongoing ‘dispute’ between Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has led to further delays in the appointment of vice chancellors (VCs) at key public sector universities in the province.

The delay is fueling concerns about the management of 19 universities already grappling with academic and administrative challenges due to a prolonged vacancy in leadership.

Last month, the government initiated the process of appointing VCs in 25 universities across Punjab. Over 600 candidates were interviewed for the posts, with the search committees forwarding the names of the top three candidates for each position to the government. However, out of the 25 universities, only six VCs have been appointed so far.

The appointment criteria for VCs under the constitution of Pakistan clearly states the role and function of the governor after the 18th amendment. “The governor shall act in accordance with the advice of the cabinet or chief minister for appointment of VCs. The governor may require the cabinet or the chief minister to reconsider such advice, whether generally or otherwise, within 15 days. If the CM sends the summary again the governor has to act in accordance with the advice after reconsideration within 10 days.”

HED official says summaries forwarded to CM office for final approval

The constitution further states the question whether any, and if so what, advice was tendered to the governor by the chief minister shall not be inquired into in, or by, any court, tribunal or other authority.

Earlier, the Punjab government had issued notifications appointing VCs to seven universities. These include: Prof Dr. Muhammad Ali Shah as VC of the University of the Punjab, Prof Dr. Shahid Munir as VC of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore, Prof Dr. Zubair Iqbal as VC of Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Prof Dr. Amir Azam Khan as VC of Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology Rahim Yar Khan, Prof Dr. Aqif Anwar Chaudhry as VC of the University of Education Lahore, Prof Dr. Inayatullah Khan as VC of University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Taxila, and Prof Dr. Ahmed Shuja as VC of the University of Gujrat.

Although six of these newly-appointed VCs have taken charge of their positions, Prof Dr. Ahmed Shuja opted out of his role at the University of Gujrat due to his mother’s serious health condition.

The appointments of VCs for another 12 universities, including Government College University Faisalabad, Islamia University Bahawalpur, Information Technology University Lahore, University of Narowal, Lahore College for Women University (LCWU), and Fatima Jinnah University Rawalpindi, remain pending. These delays are contributing to further uncertainty in institutions already affected by leadership gaps.

Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, who serves as the chancellor of public universities in the province, has raised concerns regarding the appointment process.

Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has emphasised that the governor’s role in the appointments is limited, reminding him of the provincial government’s authority in such matters.

A senior official from the Higher Education Department (HED), speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the summaries for VC appointments at all universities had been forwarded to the Chief Minister’s office for final approval. The official also confirmed that the summaries for the six universities, including the University of Okara, University of Jhang and Ghazi University Dera Ghazi Khan, have been sent to the CM’s office for further processing.

With the ongoing controversy between key political figures, it is unclear when the remaining VC appointments will be finalised.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2024