The Search Committee constituted for the appointment of Vice Chancellors in Sindh's public universities has called candidates for interviews for the position of Vice Chancellor at the University of Karachi (KU). The interviews are scheduled to begin on July 9 and will continue on July 10, 13, and 14. Call letters have started being issued to the shortlisted candidates.
Current VC's Term and Transition Plan
The current four-year term of KU's Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi, is set to expire on July 28. However, it is likely that a new permanent VC will not be appointed by that date. Until then, the current VC may be given temporary charge of the university. Several individuals both within and outside the university are also said to be interested in taking the interim charge.
Shortlisted Candidates and Application Details
A total of 52 candidates applied for the post of KU Vice Chancellor, out of whom 46 have been shortlisted for interviews. Some influential figures are reportedly in favour of appointing a bureaucrat as vice chancellor. Candidates who applied include Rukhsar Ahmed, Arshad Saleem, Priya Aftab Ahmed, Iftikhar Ahmed Siddiqui, Sheema Bukhari, Aneela Amber Malik, Nargis Anjum, Muazzam Ali Khan, Maqsood Ali Ansari, Syed Munir Ahmed Shah, Nadir Hussain Phulpoto, Jameel-un-Nabi, Dr Abdul Majeed Khan, Shah Ali-ul-Qadir, Bilquees Gul, Haris Shoaib, Shariq Ahmed, Muhammad Shahid Qureshi, Samar Sultana, Shafiq-ur-Rehman, Syed Ghulam Musharraf, Riaz Hussain Soomro, Syed Hussain Mehdi, Waseem Qazi, Shahnila Zardari, Naveed Ahmed Shaikh, Syed Saif-ur-Rehman, Samina Qadwai, Farzana Shaheen, Waseem Hayat Chand, Khalid Mahmood Iraqi, Syed Shabib-ul-Hasan, Syed Imran Jami, Muhammad Asim, Ehsan Elahi, Sarfaraz Ali Memon, Mirza Mehmood Baig, Naeema Saeed, Sajid Jahangir, Nabeel Ahmed Zuberi, Nazeer Hussain Kalhoro, Masood Mushkur Siddiqui, Afshan Siddiqui, Sajid Ali, Zamin Shaheed Siddiqui, Rubina Mushtaq, Shaista Tabassum, Syed Arif Kamal, Zia Qayyum, Brig (R) Ghulam Raza, Saleha Rehman, Kamran Ali Abbasi, and Munawar Ali Mahar among others.
Interview Process and Timeline
The Search Committee will conduct interviews over four days, assessing the shortlisted candidates for the top academic leadership role at one of Pakistan's largest universities. The selection process aims to identify a suitable candidate to lead KU, though the timeline suggests a potential interim arrangement until a permanent appointment is finalized.
