Key vacant positions leave KP’s governance in disarray

PESHAWAR: The absence of interest from senior government officials and political interference has led to key positions remaining vacant for several months in four major institutions and 24 universities, including the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This situation has adversely affected administrative affairs and performance, highlighting the absence of good governance in the province.

Currently, four significant autonomous institutions under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, including the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Oil and Gas Company (KPOGCL), Trans Peshawar Company, Bank of Khyber (BOK), and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO), have had their chief executive officer (CEO) positions vacant for a considerable time.

Read more: Vice-chancellor positions vacant in 19 universities in KP

The CEO position at the Oil and Gas Company has been awaiting a permanent appointment for the past year, while the CEO positions at the Bank of Khyber, Trans Peshawar Company, and PEDO have also been vacant for several months, with the government running these positions on an ad hoc basis.

Similarly, 24 universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are currently operating without permanent vice-chancellors. The Higher Education Department had shortlisted candidates for some of these universities during the caretaker government, but the appointments have been stalled since the establishment of the new government.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor has sent several letters to the chief minister regarding this matter, but to date, universities such as Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, Gomal University D.I. Khan, Khushal Khan Khattak University Karak, University of Agriculture DI Khan, University of Lakki Marwat, Hazara University Mansehra, University of Engineering & Technology Mardan, Women University Swabi, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Nowshera Technology University, and universities in Kohat, Peshawar, Bannu, Darra Adam Khel, Buner, Chitral, and Swat are managing affairs without permanent vice-chancellors.

Another important institution, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission (KPPSC), has had three of its 12 member positions vacant for the past eight months.

These positions became vacant after the terms of Sharif Ahmad, Niaz Sarwar Baloch, and Subhan Sher ended, but there has been no action from the provincial government regarding new appointments.

Regarding the absence of permanent heads of key institutions and vice-chancellors of universities and the issue of new appointments, Provincial Advisor for Information and Public Relations Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Barrister Saif stated that all these issues have come to the notice of the chief minister and the provincial government will make new appointments according to the legal procedure.