ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday gave the approval for the immediate appointment of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) chairperson.

A notification has been issued to form a committee headed by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal for the appointment of the new chairperson.

In addition, two members of the committee will be nominated by the Ministry of Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education, Dawn has learnt.

The post of HEC chairperson has been vacant since August 26, 2013, after the retirement of former chairperson Javaid Leghari. However, the acting charge of the commission was given to Imtiaz Gilani a month ago.

Due to the absence of a permanent HEC chairperson, the commission’s founder chairman Dr Atta ur Rahman filed a writ petition in Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the appointment in an open and transparent manner.

Umar Hanif Kichi, counsel for Dr Rahman, argued before the court that according to the HEC Ordinance 2002, “the position of HEC chairman can lie vacant for a maximum of three months” after which it was mandatory to appoint a regular chairperson.

However, the post remains vacant since August 26.

The petition said that academic circles, vice chancellors, academic staff associations and public at large had already expressed reservations over the delay in the appointment.

IHC, while disposing off the petition, had set February 12 as the deadline for the chairman’s appointment.

Previously on December 31, the court had directed the federal government to provide a cutoff date for the appointment of HEC chairman. It also asked the government to keep the court informed about the steps being taken in this regard.

State Minister for Education, Training and Standards in Higher Education Baligh Ur Rehman, while talking to Dawn, confirmed that a notification regarding the formation of a committee had been issued.

“Mr Ahsan Iqbal will chair the committee while two members of the committee will be nominated by the ministry of education,” he said.