The candidates running for the post of University of Karachi (KU) Vice Chancellor (VC) have halted their efforts for the coveted slot as sitting KU VC Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui is expected to continue holding the office for the time being. While it is undecided whether the sitting VC would continue holding the office for a while or be appointed for another four-year term, sources close to Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan have said that Siddiqui would continue to serve as the KU VC for another four years. This situation emerged after the Sindh Governor VC Search Committee (VCSC) could not conduct interviews for the post of KU VC.
The term of the sitting VC would expire on January 5, but the VCSC has not been able to hold interviews for the coveted slot yet. The VCSC had decided to conduct interviews for the KU VC post on December 11, but the interview session was postponed as one of the VCSC members had objected over including names of Siddiqui and Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST) VC Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser. The member had said that Siddiqui had not applied for the post, so his name should not have been inducted into the list of candidates. He had also said that Qaiser’s application was incomplete.
Later, VCSC Convener SM Qureshi postponed the interviews due to conflict among the members and asked the candidates to leave as he could not convene the committee because his name was put in the overage employees list by mistake and he was directed to leave the office as per the Supreme Court’s orders.
All the candidates running for the KU VC slot unanimously said that Siddiqui would continue the office for the time being.
A candidate said that he has not received an interview call from the VCSC again after postponement of interviews on December 11.
“The term of the sitting KU VC would expire in almost a week and the committee has not organised any interviews yet,” he said.
He said that according to sources close to the governor, there are bright chances that Siddiqui would continue holding the office for now.
Another candidate feared that the matter could be politicised as some of the running candidates have started approaching political parties in this regard.
Although there is no possibility of interviews in the days to come, KU Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Nasiruddin Khan, KU Arts Faculty Dean Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal, and KU Public Administration and Management Sciences Faculty Dean Prof Dr Abuzar Wajidi are considered to be the strongest candidates for the post of KU VC.
Prof DR PIRZADA QASIM must continue as VC.
Why? you think the other Professors are incapable of running the university. This year I visited Karachi University, and felt sorry for the students when I went in the Cafeteria to purchase Coke for myself. The whole floor was smeared with dirt soaked in oil, plastic chairs broken, the glass windows shattered and full of dirt. I started wondering how University students eat there.
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