A new debate on seniority of candidates for the top slots of the Vice Chancellors in the Punjab University and the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) after the removal of their VCs by the apex court has been started.

Both of the VCs had not only managed their appointment through the search committee but also obliged the Punjab government by handing over the varsity lands. Former Punjab University VC Dr Zikria Zakir resumed charge after the former VC Dr Zafar Moeen Nasir was removed from office on his refusal to hand over the varsity land to Orange line Metro project. Dr Zakria Zakir repeated the same story by giving 80 kanals of new campus land to the Punjab government to establish a grid station.

Former VC Dr Mujahid Kamran, presently a candidate for the federal Higher Education Commission, had also handed over hundreds of Punjab University lands to construct a road linking Allama Iqbal Town and the canal road. Moreover, he had also surrendered varsity lands for extension of the Bhikewal Mor and secured his second term.

The LCWU suspended VC Dr Uzma Quraishi has also exercised the same practice and allegedly secured her term as VC despite the allegations of shortage of research publications. She had also handed over the LCWU land to the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) for extension of the Jail Road project.

As per the courts’ rulings in the VCs case, the senior most should be appointed as the VC in the interim setup.

As per a seniority list, Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Department Prof Dr Taqi Zahid Butt stands on the top while College of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences Prof Dr Shahid Kamal second, Department of Urdu Dr Fakhrul Haq Noori third, Institute of Administrative Sciences Dr Nasira Jabeen on fourth number and Institute of Chemical Engg and Technology Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar are on the fifth number.

Dr Taqi Butt has also served as the acting VC in the tenures of former VCs Dr Mujahid Kamran and Dr Zafar Moeen Nasir.

On the other hand, Prof Dr Bushra Khan is the senior most Professor of the LCWU. She has been teaching at the LCWU since 1985. She is likely to be appointed as LCWU VC provisionally as the sources confirmed.

The sources further said that the powerful lobby in the HED was trying to get Dr Shagufta Naz appointed as the LCWU VC Dr Shagufta Naz is the second senior most Professor but declared blacklisted by Federal HEC on plagiarism issue. Prof. Dr Farah Khan, Head of Botany Department had filed a petition in Lahore High Court against Dr. Shagufta Naz in this regard. For the third position, Director Institute of Education Dr Farkhanda Manzoor may be the candidate.

It is further learnt that a top-level meeting of the HED, HEC bigwigs and other search committee members will be convened Tuesday to discuss the seniority of the professors for VCship for two universities forwarded by the Higher Education Department (HED) Secretary. The HED Secretary has a probe ordered by the Punjab CM Shehbaz Sharif against Dr Uzma Quraishi pending. Now, he would have to further probe the Dr Quraishi's eligibility case as the apex court directed on Sunday.

Since the apex court has removed the search committee recommended VCs in the top varsities of the countries. The educationists demanded of the government to appoint the university heads in line with the apex court direction. Moreover, they said that the court observation was a big question mark on the eligibility of the search committee.

In pursuance of the direction of the Supreme Court of Pakistan the Higher Education Department (HED) has issued suspension order for the suspended VC Dr Uzma Quraishi, Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) till further orders.

Moreover, as per the other notification dated April 23, the resignation of the former VC Dr Zakria Zakir was also accepted.

The notification further adds that orders for the provisional VCs for the LCWU and PU will be issued in the course of the week.

The University of Punjab VC Dr Zakrya Zakir has also resigned on the suo moto notice of the CJP of the apex court. The Punjab government was directed to appoint permanent VCs.

Dr Quraishi used the influence of Ahsan Iqbal (Interior Minister) reportedly to get the tenure of Vice Chancellor as the CJP Justice Saqib Nisar also remarked.

Her appointment as Professor of Education at LCWU is also under inquiry and Lahore High Court has passed orders to the Punjab governor to decide the matter, strictly in accordance with the law, the official sources stated.