Candidate with dubious credentials being considered for Hazara varsity VC job

ABBOTTABAD: A man with dubious educational credentials is being tipped as the next vice-chancellor of Hazara University, Mansehra, a highly placed source said.
However, provincial higher education minister Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani maintained that neither this particular candidate nor anyone else was enjoying any favour as only the council headed by Dr Attaur Rahman was authorized to make the appointments of vice-chancellors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The post of vice-chancellor has been vacant after the retirement of Prof Dr Sakhawat Shah more than a year ago. Presently, Prof Dr Habib Ahmed is running the affairs of the Hazara University as an acting vice-chancellor.
The Hazara University was established in 2001 in Dhudial village of Mansehra district on the land of Dhudial Mental Hospital. Its founding vice-chancellor was Dr Ihsan Ali followed by noted scholar Prof Dr Ashraf Adeel, who was sacked by the then governor Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah for disobeying him over the issue of appointments.
Dr Adeel was replaced by Daud Awan who served the university as vice-chancellor from 2002 to 2006.
In June last year, interviews were held for the post of vice-chancellor of Hazara University. As many as 16 candidates were interviewed and four were shortlisted, according to the source. A former vice-chancellor was also considered for the post and is being tipped as the favourite candidate.
The candidate in question has a master’s degree from the University of Oslo, Norway in pedagogy (education) but he claimed to have a doctorate degree in computer sciences when he was appointed as the vice-chancellor. However, his claim was denied by the University of Oslo (a letter of Oslo University is available with The News).
He also mentioned himself being Professor and PhD in Computer Sciences in his official profile on the university’s website (now removed).
A source claimed that provincial Minister for Higher Education Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani was favouring the candidate for the coveted post.
Mushtaq Ghani, when contacted by this scribe, denied favouring anyone including Daud Awan, the former vice-chancellor of Hazara University. He said that last year a committee headed by him deferred Daud Awan’s appointment on technical reasons as vice-chancellor despite the fact that he was on top of the list.
He explained that according to the new provincial law, the Higher Education Department could only advertise the vacant post of vice-chancellor in the province.
“Dr Attaur Rehman is the head of the committee tasked with appointment of vice-chancellors. We can only seek applications while this committee is the only forum authorised to appoint or reject any person for the post in KP,” he said.
He dispelled the impression that there was any political role with regards to appointing any vice-chancellor.
“We believe in merit and will strictly adhere to it. We don’t have any favourites as we want a competent person to head this institution,” he emphasised.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) twoo days ag arrested two former vice-chancellors of Hazara University, Dr Ihsan Ali and Dr Sakhawat Shah over charges of misuse of authority. A citizen of Abbottabad had filed a corruption reference against another former vice-chancellor of Hazara University in 2005 and present evidence also. The NAB Peshawar office replied to him that his case was not maintainable and was beyond its jurisdiction.
“If two former vice-chancellors of Hazara University could be nabbed by the NAB on minor corruption charges or misuse of power, then how can NAB spare a man who is involved in massive corruption and is about to be appointed as vice-chancellor of Hazara University once again?” he questioned.