Women professors triumph in first IIUI Board of Trustees Election

ISLAMABAD: In a historic election, women professors secured three out of four seats for the representation of teachers in the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the International Islamic University Islamabad.

The three women professors who won the election had the backing of the current Academic Staff Association (ASA), while their rival panel managed to win only one seat.

During the BoT meeting on December 11, 2023, it was decided to allocate four vacant seats to university teachers, fulfilling a long-standing demand. The BOT’s decision included separate representation for professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and lecturers, with women professors winning three of the four seats, said a press release on Friday.

Dr Amina Mahmood secured the professor’s seat with 14 votes, defeating Dr Saeed Badshah with 11 votes. Dr Tasneem Fatima won the associate professor’s seat with 28 votes, surpassing Dr Zafar Iqbal’s 11 votes. Dr Aisha Qurrat-ul-Ain clinched the assistant professor’s seat with 53 votes, defeating Dr Zara Sabeeh (51 votes) and Dr Javed Ahmed Khan Tepu (11 votes). Hafiz Muhammad Nasir won the lecturer’s seat with 47 votes, defeating Dr. Safiullah Khan Marwat (43 votes) and Dr. Naila Rafique (24 votes).

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The ASA-supported women professors dominated, securing three seats, while their opponents claimed only one seat. Leaders from both groups congratulated the winners and pledged full support for the university’s development and teachers’ rights.

Professor Aqdas Naveed Malik, Chairman of the Election Commission, along with members Dr Rukhsana Tariq and Dr Abdul Rauf Khattana, conducted the elections. Despite exam duties and busy schedules, a significant number of teachers participated, resulting in a 63% overall voting turnout.

ASA’s President Dr Tariq Javed praised the successful holding of the election and the large participation of the teachers and said that it was a great achievement of the current ASA and the entire teachers’ fraternity. He said that the unity and cooperation of the teachers will continue for the protection of the rights of the teachers’ fraternity.