Karachi: The senate of the Federal Urdu University has eliminated the vice-chancellor candidate from Sindh from the race on the basis of voting and the three names have been handed over to the President/Chancellor University Dr. Arif Alvi as suitable names for the vice-chancellor. Among them are Dr. Bakht Jahan on the first row, Dr. Muhammad Ali Shah on the second and Dr. Bajila Khan Shinwari on the third.
This was decided in a meeting of the university senate held in the president’s office in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Dr. Arif Alvi.
Out of the five names presented in the meeting, the first two names, Dr. Bakht Jahan and Dr. Muhammad Ali Shah, were agreed upon by all the members of the Senate, however, some members presented the name of Dr. Athar Mehboob instead of the third name, Dr. Baizela Khan, which was quite controversial. After the discussion, it was decided to vote and in the case of voting results, Dr. Athar Mehboob, the only candidate from Sindh, was removed from the list by 8 votes against 6, and Dr. Bajila Khan was included. The President did not participate in this voting.
A member involved in the meeting told “Express” that when the time came for the decision on the selection board of lecturer and assistant professor in the meeting, several senators asked to cancel the board based on the inquiry report. This report was not shared with the members, on which President Dr. Arif Alvi expressed his displeasure, after which the final decision was taken to maintain the selection board for the time being and gave this authority to the new vice chancellor. They should decide within six months of their appointment whether to retain it or to cancel it and form a new board.
On the other hand, the Senate meeting could not take any decision on the financial crisis of the university and this crisis was also left for the new vice chancellor.
“Express” asked Vice-Chancellor candidate Dr. Jahan Bakht how he will save the university from the financial crisis, to which he said that he will take the stakeholders along and take a decision in consultation with them. Stakeholders should also own the rule of law and the university.
On a question, he said that I will sit and run the university from what the law says, now we have to see what the law says.
Dr. Mohammad Ali Shah, the other candidate for the vice-chancellor, was contacted and asked what strategy he has to get the university out of the financial crisis if he becomes the vice-chancellor. To which he said that this is not a new problem, most of the public sector universities are caught in this problem, we have to increase the resources and control the expenses and we have to take support from the public and private sector in this regard.
On the question of transfer of the principal seat, he said that in case of becoming the vice chancellor, he will continue to come and go to Karachi and Islamabad as there are campuses in both cities, so it is not possible to stay in one place.
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