ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) has dismissed the petition filed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and ordered that permanent vice-chancellors be appointed in 19 government universities within two weeks.
It is important to note that the caretaker government had conducted interviews for the appointment of vice-chancellors in October 2023, with permission from the Election Commission.
Recommendations for three candidates for each university were submitted to the governor. However, the current provincial government rejected these recommendations, re-advertised for the positions in July 2024, and formed a new search committee.
The affected candidates filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court against this decision. The High Court ruled that the new search committee and the re-advertisement process initiated by the government were illegal and ordered that appointments be made solely based on the interviews conducted during the caretaker government.
The provincial government then appealed the High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court, which was ultimately rejected. The apex court clarified that since the search committee process had been completed and the list of candidates was submitted to the governor, it was illegal to form a new search committee or to reissue the advertisement.
Currently, 25 out of 34 government universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are without permanent vice-chancellors. The appointment process for vice-chancellors in these 19 universities is expected to proceed rapidly, while the search for vice-chancellors in the remaining universities will also be expedited.
At present, acting vice-chancellors are serving in 26 universities, affecting various administrative and academic matters. Following the Supreme Court’s decision, it is anticipated that the government will quickly finalize the appointments to ensure that educational and research activities in the universities can resume effectively.
