PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government approved the appointment of five Vice Chancellors for five public sector universities of the province.
According to the summary, Dr. Razia Sultana has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Women University Mardan, Dr. Jamshed Ali Khan has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of University of Buner. Similarly, Dr. Hazirullah has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor University of Chitral, and Dr. Ahmedur Rehman Saljuqi has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Islamia College Peshawar. According to the summary, Dr. Mohsin Nawaz has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of FATA University.
The prolonged delay in appointing permanent vice-chancellors (VCs) to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) public sector universities has led to significant administrative and academic challenges. As of late 2024, 21 universities in the province were operating without permanent leadership, impacting their financial stability and academic operations.
The process for appointing VCs was initiated during the tenure of the previous government. However, following the formation of a caretaker government, the process faced interruptions. The new provincial government expressed reservations about the panels prepared by the caretaker administration, leading to a reevaluation of the appointments.
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has intervened in the matter, granting the provincial government a 10-day period to implement orders for appointing VCs to 19 public sector universities. The court emphasized the urgency of filling these vacancies to prevent further deterioration in university operations.
Repeated postponements of interviews for VC positions have been a significant issue. For instance, interviews scheduled for July 2023 were postponed indefinitely, causing frustration among the academic community and raising concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability in the appointment process.
The absence of permanent VCs has led to difficulties in decision-making, including delays in salary disbursements and other administrative functions. The Higher Education Department (HED) has restricted universities without permanent VCs from making major financial and administrative decisions, further exacerbating the challenges faced by these institutions.
Read also: Relief for academia: KP appoints VCs at 16 Universities after prolonged delay
