ISLAMABAD: Despite Prime Minister Imran Khan’s focus on merit and refusal to providing extensions, another Vice Chancellor (VC) of a university in Gilgit Baltistan (GB) has succeeded in getting extension for a full term of four years through its senate.
The move comes on heels of an extension in contract given to Vice Chancellor (VC) of Baltistan University for an indefinite period.
Interestingly, both the lucky VCs, who are considered friends, have apparently used the forum of the Senate, a superior body of the universities, for granting extension in their contract unlike the set rules of appointment of VCs after completion of tenure being implemented/ practiced in other universities of the country.
As the statute of these universities have a room/ provision of giving extension to VCs in case of unavoidable situations, the VCs using similar provisions succeed in extending their contract. Interestingly in the case of Karakorum International University (KIU), Gilgit, the entire tenure of the VC (four year) was renewed even at least eight months before completion of his existing tenure.
According to reliable sources and available documents, the senate of KIU, which met here on November 2, 2021, has approved the renewing tenure of the VC with majority vote, although the same was not part of the agenda of the meeting.
The chairman of the university senate, Prof Junaid Zaidi, had introduced the case of extension of VC’s tenure as a table agenda, as a surprise to few members of the senate despite the fact that the VC has eight months to retire.
A member of the senate, an elected representative of faculty of the university, had strongly protested against the sudden introduction of the agenda saying that it has no justification to table an agenda of no urgent matter.
As per insiders, the member also raised serious questions over the intention of the agenda as the VC’s performance during the past four years were not satisfactory. He was of the view that set rules of appointment of VCs as mentioned in the university’s statute should be followed and the existing VC may apply for another term.
However, some of the senate’s members, who are considered friends of the VC, insisted in giving the extension even months before the retirement.
When contacted, Registrar of the university, Hameed Lone said that the senate has forwarded its recommendations regarding extension of the VC’s term to the President of Pakistan, who is chancellor of the university.
“The chancellor has the authority to approve or disapprove the same,” he said, adding that the VC was given another chance by the senate as the statute of the university permits.
Current VC, KIU, Dr. Attaullah Shah was appointed in June, 2018 for a period of four years and would complete the term in June 2022. The extension case of Current Vice Chancellor till 2026 was presented in the 19th KIU Senate meeting by the Senate Chairperson as a table agenda!
As a rule of business, only emergent issue(s) should be presented as a table agenda. It was not an emergent issue as the current Vice Chancellor has his tenure till June 2022.
According to insiders the current Chairperson of KIU Senate (Prof. Dr. Muhammad Junaid Zaidi) who proposed the extension of the VC till 2026 has never visited KIU to see and observer the actual situation of KIU and performance of VC. The table agenda was approved and only one member who knows the ground realities didn’t agree with this extension.
Interestingly at least eight out of 12 members of the senate including Dr. Bushra Mirza, Nadeem-ul-Haque, Nishat Riaz, Asim Shahriyar Hussain, Dr. Dilovar Butabekov, Dr. Sarosh Hashmat Lodhi, Ms. Ayesha Khorsheed and Secretory Education GB, were newly appointed and the 19th meeting of KIU Senate was their first meeting whereas the secretory education GB was not invited to attend the meeting.
Being non-local except Mrs. Nishat Riaz and Ms. Ayesha Khorsheed, all new members were totally unaware about the ground realities of KIU including social, political, and religious dynamics of Gilgit-Baltistan.
It may be recalled here that earlier in May 2021, VC of a new public university, Baltistan University, had managed to get an indefinite extension after retirement through the varsity Senate in violation of the rules.
As per details, Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Naeem Khan, who completed his term on May 31, 2021, holds the position even after over six months of retirement as he has been given an extension till the appointment of a new VC, which is still awaited.
A faculty member who is part of a group of staff members who have filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against illegal appointments in the university informed Pakistan Today that the VC, who had earlier made a failed attempt of approaching a local court in GB for extension, used the forum of the varsity’s Senate, members of which were all of his choice, to get the unlawful extension.
After prolonged protests of civil society and students against the unlawful extension, the VC, for the past over three months, has been sitting in Islamabad while running affairs of the university through registrar and social media tools (emails).
As per normal practice, acting charge is given to the senior most faculty member in absence of the VC. It may be mentioned here that GB has only the two public universities to cater the demand of higher degree subtends in the region.
