Zubair Qureshi
The Higher Education Commission’s governing body, called the Commission, restored the powers of Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri by a unanimous vote in its meeting held on Wednesday.
The commission overruled an earlier resolution, on which consent of the Commission Members was obtained without a formal meeting and through email, to delegate Chairperson’s powers to the Executive Director HEC.
However, the commission meeting held on Wednesday restored the powers to the Chairperson HEC. All participants of the meeting voted in favour of a motion to set aside the earlier resolution.
The government had last year removed the HEC chairman after reducing his four-year term to two years by amending HEC’s ordinance 2002. However, last month, the IHC restored him.
Subsequently, the federal government challenged the IHC decision in the Supreme Court.
In February this year, the ministry of federal education and ministry of science and technology openly opposed the selection board of HEC, which was recomposed by Dr Banuri for appointment of the HEC executive director.
In the resolution, the commission termed the selection board illegal and approved extension in the tenure of ED Dr Shaista Suhail till the appointment of a new chairperson.
The said the ED had joined HEC in 2020 on deputation basis and retired in August last year after reaching the age of superannuation. However, she was given several extensions to continue working as there was no regular ED, the principal accounting officer of HEC.
