FUUAST senate members oppose proposal to appoint interim VC

Karachi : The Senate members of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST) and members of the Vice-Chancellor Search Committee (VCSC) have appealed to the Senate of the university to take serious notice of the letter written by Dr. Javed Laghari, Chairman Higher Education Commission and the Convener VCSC to the President Asif Ali Zardari, the Chancellor of the university.

In a press release issued here on Saturday they said Dr. Laghari in his letter to the Chancellor has requested to turn down the senate recommendations for appointment of new Vice-Chancellor. Dr. Laghari, in the letter, has maintained that the three most suitable candidates recommended by the Senate (FUUAST) to the Chancellor do not adequately qualify for the post and that the Chancellor may appoint an interim vice-chancellor for the university.

The Senate members Prof. Nasir Abbass and Prof. Seema Naz Siddiqui and the members of the VCSC Dr. Tausif Ahmed Khan and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zahid have said that senators of FUUAST had earlier recommended three most suitable and merited candidates for the post of the Vice-Chancellor of the University.

The VCSC, under the chair of Dr. Laghari held numerous expensive meetings for six long months in Islamabad and short listed four most suitable candidates out of 49 applications. The process was completed under a rigorous personal inspection of the convener himself. Dr. Laghari is on record to show his content on the proceedings of the VCSC and the Senate of the university in this regard, the members said.

Dr. Laghari s request to the President to appoint an interim VC for the University instead of a permanent authority as stipulated under the university ordinance and mandated by the VCSC and turndown the recommendation of the Senate in this regard is not only waste of the university s measly resources and time but also against the set principles of HEC itself. It speaks volume on no self-confidence of the HEC s top man. How could he give approval of the process, called upon expensive meetings and long deliberations in Islamabad and not raised any objections then. And now when the VCSC has finished its job and the Senate of the University has finally forwarded three most suitable and merited candidates to the Presidency and the President is expected to appoint a permanent VC any time soon, he asks for the appointment of an interim VC!

This would be taken as an offence to the university, its highest body i.e. the senate and the learned members of the VCSC. Was the process meant to bring an interim VC to the university? Is it that the honorable senators and members of the VCSC remained indulged in intellectual indulgence and had wasted their invaluable time and energies!

The teaching and co-teaching faculty of the university feels very deep about the issue. Any interim appointment for the VC would be resisted at all levels of the university. FUUAST which have branches in Karachi and Islamabad would remain upset till the mandate of the VCSC is met and the Senate s recommendations are given due respect and followed.

President Asif Ali Zardari, had appointed Dr. Laghari for the convener and Dr. Ishrat Hussain as the member of the VCSC that included Dr. Pir Zada Qasim, Dr. Masooma Hassan, Dr. Tanvir Khalid and two teachers from FUUAST. The VCSC held numerous meetings in Islamabad for six months, short listed 4 suitable candidates out of 49 who had applied for the post.