HEC and University of Karachi face to face over the appointment of Dr. Iqbal Chaudhry

Karachi: The federal and provincial institutions have come face to face on the issue of the appointment of the head of ICCBS, a scientific research institute established in the University of Karachi, and the appointment of Dr. Iqbal Chaudhry has been challenged by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad.

The HEC has refused to recognize the appointment of retired Professor Dr. Iqbal Chaudhry in an established world-class scientific research institute in the University of Karachi and termed it as contrary to the rules of the concerned institution and said that the Director of ICCBS Appointment should be made through advertisement.

In the letter written by the HEC Islamabad to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Karachi, Prof. Dr. Khalid Iraqi, it has been clarified that if this is not done, the HEC will be forced to form a committee on this issue and find a solution. The above letter has been written on behalf of HEC Advisor Owais Ahmed with the approval of Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed.

HEC’s letter titled “Governance issues at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS)” states that the Higher Education Commission has asked the Higher Education Commission to “recognise the issues arising in institutions like ICCBS”. There is deep concern over the recent issues as this institution holds a prestigious position not only in Pakistan but also in the wider Muslim world, while for the development and success of this institution, HEC has done a lot of financing in the name of research grants in the last two decades. .

Recent incidents have raised serious concerns about leadership issues, management protocols and overall status in the institution, mismanagement, governance breakdowns, financial irregularities, audit observations, internal chaos, operational inefficiencies and administrative irregularities are among the concerns. These issues are not only affecting the reputation of this prestigious institution, but are also having a negative impact on its reputation in front of the relevant research and scientific community.

The letter also criticized the recent meeting of the board of ICCBS and the letter to the vice chancellor of the University of Karachi further said that the HEC was informed about the last meeting of the executive board held on May 6, 2024. I was not formally notified nor received any email on 13 May 2024.

It is further stated that deliberate non-disclosure of such matters to the HEC is troubling and casts doubt on the intention of the management, likewise the minutes of the last meeting of the Executive Board on May 13, 2024 have not been shared yet. .

The letter clarified that as per Section 4(b) of the ICCBS Rules, the Executive Board is empowered to appoint the Director ICCBS on the recommendations of the Selection Board and that any such clause There is no provision whereby the Director is to be appointed on an acting basis.

HEC has said that in view of this situation, HEC Islamabad does not endorse the illegal notification of appointment of Director ICCBS and recommends that a meeting of the Executive Board be convened as soon as possible. The eligibility criteria for the post will be revised and a fresh advertisement will be considered accordingly.