Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar as Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for a period of two years, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training on Friday.
The notification states that the appointment has been made under the Higher Education Commission Ordinance, 2002, as amended, and has taken effect immediately.
The prime minister, in his capacity as the controlling authority of the HEC, approved the appointment under Section 3 read with Section 6(5) of the ordinance.
The position of HEC chairman had remained vacant in recent months, with the commission being run under interim arrangements. Officials said the absence of a regular chairman had delayed several administrative and policy decisions, including matters related to approvals of academic programmes, accreditation issues, faculty promotions and the release of funds to public sector universities.
Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar has served as Vice Chancellor of Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad awe well as as Vice Chancellor of the University of the Punjab, Rector of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Taxila, Vice Chancellor of the Information Technology University (ITU) Lahore, Vice Chancellor of the University of Sahiwal and Vice Chancellor of the National Textile University, Faisalabad.
He has also held senior academic and administrative positions in the higher education sector over the past two decades. He is a recipient of the Sitara-i-Imtiaz.
The Higher Education Commission is the federal body responsible for regulating universities, setting standards for degree programmes and faculty, overseeing quality assurance mechanisms and disbursing funds to public sector universities. The commission also plays a role in the approval of new universities and academic programmes, recognition of degrees and oversight of research funding.
Officials in the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training said the appointment was aimed at ensuring continuity in the functioning of the commission. The HEC is currently dealing with a number of issues, including funding constraints faced by public sector universities, pending regulatory matters, and coordination with provincial higher education departments.
With the appointment of a regular chairman, routine and pending matters of the commission are expected to be taken up in accordance with existing laws and rules.
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