Top men at PU, MNSUET: CM conducts quickfire interviews with VC hopefuls
LAHORE:25 june:Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif interviewed all six candidates vying for the slots of Punjab University and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology (MNSUET) vice chancellors.
Brief interviews were on Saturday and selected government officials were also part of the process. Candidates, who had earlier been shortlisted for the top post at the two varsities, were informed about the interview late on Friday night. All six appeared before the panel for the interview.
The candidates included incumbent Punjab University Provisional Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zafar Mueen Nasir, Professor Dr Mujahid Kamran and Professor Dr Zakaria Zakir who were in the running for top man at PU. Dr Aamir Ijaz, Dr Mohammad Zubair and Dr Shahid Munir appeared for the interview in the hope of claiming the empty VC slot at MNSUET.
Sources privy to the matter told The Express Tribune that the interview concluded in minutes as the CM had to go to Islamabad. “In the brief interview, he asked each candidate to explain what they would do differently in their respective university,” the source said.
They added Shehbaz had called for a meeting between officials concerned after Eid holidays to finalise the appointment. “A meeting between ministers, senior Higher Education Department (HED) officials and Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) will be organised after Eid. These officials will finalise appointments of vice chancellors at the two varsities.”
Appointments of VCs at four public universities of Punjab were delayed as a case was being heard over the matter at the Lahore High Court (LHC). On April 27, the LHC gave the go-ahead to the Punjab government to appoint vice chancellors at Punjab University, Lahore College for Women University (LCWU), University of Sargodha (UoS) and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology (MNSUET) Multan as per recommendations of their respective search committees.
The provincial government was only able to appoint VCs at LCWU and UoS, while vice chancellors were functioning at Punjab University and MNSUET on a provisional basis, as per the instructions of the LHC.
The appointment of vice chancellors at public universities in Punjab has become a controversial affair for the provincial government. The LHC directed the government to appoint VCs. However, the Punjab government’s appointments and nominees for various universities came into question as they reportedly failed to meet the minimum criteria.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 25th, 2017.
