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Gov to replace 6 university VCs
KARACHI, Oct 10: The governor has advertised
for the posts of four vice chancellors of Sindh's public sector universities,
including the University of Karachi, as the VCs were working past their
retirement, it was learnt.
The advertisements were for placed
for the VCs of the University of Karachi (VC Dr Pirzada Qasim), Quaid-e-Awam
University Nawabshah (VC Anwar Junejo), The Sindh Agriculture University
Tandojam (VC Dr Bashir Sheikh) and the Dow University of Health Sciences (VC Dr
Masood Hameed).
For now, four VCs stand to be replaced but it was learnt that the actual recommended number is six by a search committee that
ironically included the KU VC. The other two VCs are Qadeer Rajput of Mehran
University of Engineering and University of Sindh's Mazharul Haq Siddiqui,
sources said.
Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, who is by law the chancellor for
these institutions, advertised for the posts Tuesday in major newspapers. These
orders were issued a year after a search committee made these recommendations.
"I don't know the exact status of these positions but according to procedure,
the tenure of the vice chancellor might have ended or they could be near
retirement," the governor's press secretary Wajahat Hussain said when asked why the posts were advertised. For example, he added, the vice
chancellor of Khairpur University was changed as his tenure ended.
In
November 2006, the governor constituted a six-member search committee led by KU
VC Dr Pirzada Qasim with Dr S. M. Qureshi, Dr Manzoor Ahmed, Dr A. Q. Mughal and
Dr Masood Hameed. The committee was formed after Mohammad Saleem Khan, principal
secretary to the governor, received complaints from a majority of public sector
universities in Sindh, sources said. The committee scrutinized the
alleged irregularities of some of these universities and collected information
on all the vice chancellors.
It found that six out of them ten vice
chancellors had reached the retirement age long ago but were still working at
the most important administrative positions in the education system by acquiring
extensions. The committee recommended their removal, sources added.
When contacted Anwar Junejo, who is the vice chancellor
Quaid-e-Awam University Nawabshah, to ask what his comment was on the
advertisement of his post. He declined to issue any statement. "I have not put
in the advertisement, so ask Governor House," Junejo said.
The VCs of
the University of Sindh Jamshoro and the Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam
have had their tenure extended more than twice, an official at Governor House
said requesting anonymity. He added that Bashir Ahmed Sheikh, VC of
Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam retired from service on April 13, 2004 but
got an extension and his tenure should end on March 30, 2008.
KU VC Dr
Pirzada Qasim who was the chairman of the search committee could not be reached.
However, an official of Karachi University on the conditions of anonymity said that the name of Dr Pirzada Qasim was not included in the list but
later his position was advertised. These matters are at the discretion of the
governor. Daily Times
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