Rift deepens between Punjab governor, chief minister over VCs' appointments
Pakistan
Governor rejected 13 summaries, Punjab government notified seven
LAHORE (Dunya News) – Tensions escalated between Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan and the provincial government over the issue of appointing vice-chancellors (VCs) of the universities in Punjab.
Sources revealed that Governor Haider rejected all 13 summaries forwarded for the appointment of VCs, citing reasons for each rejection in a detailed response to the provincial government. This move follows the provincial government's recent appointment of VCs at seven universities. The Punjab government justified that the mandatory 14-day review period was over.
Governor House sources asserted that while the provincial government can propose three candidates for each vice-chancellor position, the final appointment authority lies with the governor, who is also chancellor of the varsities. They also pointed out that the 14-day period for six universities' summaries had not yet expired. The governor's office highlighted that no appointments would be made beyond merit.
On the other hand, sources in the Chief Minister's office argued that the governor's role is merely ceremonial. The appointments made were legal.
The discord comes just a day after the provincial government appointed vice-chancellors for prominent institutions, including Punjab University, University of Gujrat, and Bahauddin Zakariya University and some others.
