Higher Education Commission of Pakistan Chairman, Dr Tariq Banuri has decided again to advertise the post of executive director in order to appoint person of his own choice. Sources told Business Recorder that earlier a five-member selection committee had short listed candidates for the post of executive director considering their vast administrative and teaching experience. But, they added, the HEC Chairman does not want to appoint any person from the short listed candidates. Perhaps there is a certain person that he wants to appoint against the said post, he added.
The sources further said that Banuri has taken the permission from the board to re-advertise the post in its meeting held on April 20. The process of this appointment should have been completed in two months but the commission failed to fill this post after the resignation of former Executive Director Dr Arshad Ali eight months ago.
"We will make an announcement regarding appointment of permanent executive director in the next two weeks," said Chairman HEC Dr Tariq Banuri. Sources further said that post was advertised on January 2019 and applications were invited from the eligible candidates and a five-member selection committee had finalized three candidates from the short listed candidates.
They claimed that after seeing no candidate of his choice, the Chairman was not interested to appoint any of the three short listed candidates. The HEC Pakistan is also facing serious financial crisis. This sector is facing budget cut of 50% under the head of recurring and development budget in the coming budget. The commission has demanded Rs103.55 billion from the government for the year 2019-20. Last year commission's budget was 65.5 billion while it was given Rs58 billion.