ISLAMABAD: The strong lobbying by potential candidates for the slot of chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) office has perplexed the Prime Minister and caused delay in the process to fill the long-awaiting vacant post, ‘The Frontier Post’ has learnt through reliable sources. A senior sitting official of HEC on condition not to name informed that after the direction of Islamabad High Court on Jan6 to ensure the appointment of chairman HEC till Feb12, which was latter brushed aside by federal government, the big fish among the total eighteen finalists for interview started lobbying through the means of political and bureaucratic favoritism.
The saga of lobbying is still continue as different political and educational circles believed that two among the other influential contenders including sitting Executive Director (ED) Prof. Dr Mukhtar Ahmed and acting chairman Eng. Imtiaz Hussain Gillani, who are also the part of race allegedly seemed more flexible in running the bussiness of headless commission rather than under appointing authority.
The officer of HEC revealed that most of candidates who were finalized for interview by former search committee headed by the federal minister for planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal, keeps their political affiliation with sitting legislatures in parliament from ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), while remaining other have back of strong bureaucratic regime in federal government.
The sitting executive director Prof. Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, one of the candidates allegedly not only managed to gain the sympathies of an influential politician of PML-N from district Naroval but also backing by the strong bureaucratic regime from education sector particularly powerful federal institution COMSATS.
The reliable sources near to ED office, disclosed that the name of Prof. Mukhtar Ahmed for the post of HEC chairman was officially recommended by Pro-Rector of COMSATS Dr. Haroon Rasheed to former search committee instead of directly applying for the said vacancy by candidature, adding “Mr. Haroon Rasheed has been enjoying duly charge as pro-rector COMSATS and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Testing Service (NTS), a child institution of COMSATS”, he maintained.
Prof. Dr. Javaid Laghari, the former controversial chairman HEC, once again nominated for the race of Commission’s chairman, who not only have the support of his some former colleagues in HEC but also have strong influence in political circles, however it is worth mentioning that the said candidate has strong foundation in Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and served as Senator too.
Laghari gained a national and international fame during the “fake degree” saga of the parliamentarians in 2010, and again during the elections of 2013, when he took a principle stand and had HEC verify the degrees of all parliamentarians. As a result, a large number of parliamentarians were disqualified from the parliament.
Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gillani, the sitting acting chairman HEC and strong candidate for HEC chairman office, had served as provincial minister of Education in KPK, little after the coup of former military ruler Gen ® Pervaiz Musharaf, who brought down the second term of PML-N government in 1999, while his brother Ifthikhar Gillani who had the political inspirations from PPP served as federal law minister in 1st democratic government led by late Benazir Bhutto in 19888 little after the demise of former military ruler Zia-ul-Haq, but yet have strong political footings.
Dr. Muhammad Akram Chaudhry, the vice chancellor of Sargodha University has politically strong base in circle of regional parliamentarians from Sargodha and Faisalabad, while another candidate Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, Vice Chancellor University of Bahawalpur has been managed to gain the support of parliamentarians from South Punjab belt and one of the cabinet member belonging to ruling party as well.
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