Dr Tariq Banuri appointed as HEC chairman

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday appointed Dr Tariq Banuri as the fourth chairman of Higher Education Commission (HEC), just days before the term of the government is due to expire.

A six-member selection committee including former health minister Dr Sania Nishtar, former lawmaker Shahnaz Wazir Ali, educationists Faisal Bari and Mirza Qamar Baig and Education Secretary Akbar Durrani presented a list of candidates for the post of HEC chairman. Renowned educationist Syed Babar Ali was the convener of the committee.

The search committee, after following a rigorous selection process, had recommended a panel to the premier comprising distinguished scholars including former Islamia University, Bahawalpur VC Professor Dr Muhammad Mukhtar, Professor Dr Tariq Banuri, Professor Dr Iqbal Chaudhry and Professor Dr Anwarul Hassan Gillani.

The University of Utah professor, Tariq Banuri, holds a PhD degree in economics from Harvard University. He completed his MA in development economics from Williams College after finishing bachelors in civil engineering from the University of Peshawar.

Banuri is also the author of 20 books in addition to more than 30 research papers.

The decision of appointment of Dr Banuri as HEC chairman was welcomed by the academic and civil society circles.

Inter-University Consortium and Working Group on Higher Education Reforms National Coordinator Murtaza Noor and Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) Central President Dr Kaleemullah and FAPUASA Islamabad Chapter President Dr Shehzad Ashraf greeted the new HEC chairman and assured their utmost cooperation for bringing about positive reforms in higher education sector.

They also appreciated PM Abbasi’s decision for ensuring the merit-based appointment of the new HEC chief and lauded the efforts of the search committee for making a transparent decision despite pressure from various corners.

They hoped that new HEC chief would focus on resolving the problems of Pakistani universities, especially of the universities’ faculties.