KP governor stripped of powers to appoint VCs, chancellorship of varsities

PESHAWAR: A rift has further intensified between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Governor Faisal Karim Kundi regarding administrative authority as the provincial government has secured cabinet approval to transfer the chancellorship of KP’s 34 public sector universities from the governor to the chief minister.

According to sources, the KP cabinet approved amendments to the Universities Act 2012, granting the chief minister the role of chancellor of all public sector universities in the province, a role previously held by the governor.

Additionally, the chief minister will now have the authority to appoint university vice-chancellors, selecting candidates from a panel of three nominees.

Provincial government officials said that, as funding and management of public-sector universities fall under the ambit of the provincial government, it was necessary to authorise the chief minister to appoint vice-chancellors, who will be appointed for a four-year term.

Also read: KP cabinet rejects list seeking appointment of VCs for 19 universities

Under the amendments, only female candidates will be appointed as vice-chancellors of women’s universities. Currently, vice-chancellor slots of 25 public sector universities across the province remain vacant.

The provincial cabinet also imposed a ban on the ad hoc appointment of university registrars, mandating that all future appointments to these roles will be made on a permanent basis from within the university administrations.

Additionally, the finance department and the Higher Education Department have been granted authority to carry out audit of funds allocated to all universities by the provincial government.