HEC Chairman Tariq Banuri’s powers delegated to Shaista Suhail

ISLAMABAD: Three weeks after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had restored Dr Tariq Javed Banuri to the post of chairman of Higher Education Commission (HEC), his powers have been delegated to the commission’s Executive Director Shaista Suhail, it emerged on Wednesday.

According to a notification issued by the HEC’s Assistant Director HR Muhammad Amjid Hussain Shah, the powers have been transferred to Executive Director Shaista Suhail under a resolution tabled by the secretary of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MFEPT), which was supported by 14 out of 21 members of the HEC, The    Daily Jang reported. 

Executive Director Shaista Suhail has been allowed to continue her work until the appointment of a new chairman of the HEC, read the notification.

Shaista Suhail will exercise the powers of the HEC chairperson to ensure transparency, promotion of consultative process, smooth and efficacious execution and implementation of all the orders, decisions, and policies of the Commission according to the true spirit of the Commission as provided in the Ordinance, it added.

HEC members dissatisfied with chairman

A day earlier, members of the HEC had expressed dissatisfaction over the freshly-reinstated chairman.

The members of the commission took the chairman's discretionary powers and allowed the incumbent executive director to stay until the new HEC chairman was chosen by passing a resolution with two-thirds majority. They had also declared the interview process for the new executive director as null and void.

Federal Secretary for Education and Professional Training Naheed Durrani had presented the resolution, which declared the selection and interview procedure unlawful and in violation of the HEC's guidelines.

The members, who had voted against Dr Tariq Banuri, included Engr Farooq Bazai, Dr Javed Iqbal, Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, Dr Arif Nazir Butt, Secretary Abdul Saboor Kakar, Dr Bhawani Shankar Chowdhary, Dr Akram Shaikh, Dr Nadra Panjwani, Dr Shaista Sohail, and Dr Naved Malik.

Talking to The News, Dr Tariq Banuri had said he had heard about the resolution, which was presented at the behest of Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, adding it lacked legal basis. He had said by passing such a resolution, members intended to reject the will of the IHC, which may constitute a contempt of court case.

Dr Banuri had said Dr Atta-ur-Rehman and his friends should avoid such tactics because they will significantly affect the country's education system. Dr Banuri had advised Dr Atta-ur-Rehman to stop engaging in what he termed irresponsible behaviour.