KP Universities to See Chief Minister as New Chancellor

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa KP government has introduced the Universities Amendment Bill 2024, a significant piece of legislation designed to reshape the management structure of universities within the province. The bill, presented in the KP Assembly by Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam, outlines a shift in governance, transferring the chancellorship of universities from the governor to the chief minister. In addition, the power to appoint vice-chancellors VCs will now lie with the chief minister. The latest updates of the notification of KP Govt Proposes University Governance Changes: CM to Assume Role of Chancellor are shared online.

Vice Chancellor Appointments: According to the new bill, the chief minister will have the authority to appoint VCs from a list of three candidates proposed by the Academic Search Committee.

Term Length and Performance Monitoring for VCs: The bill stipulates that VCs will serve a fixed four-year term. There will be a mid-term performance review after two years, and should their performance fall below 65%, their tenure could be terminated.

Registrar Appointments: The bill also introduces a change to the appointment process for registrars, allowing the chancellor to select a registrar from the university’s existing administrative officers.

Addressing Violence in Kurram District

In a session led by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Minister Aftab Alam also provided insights into the recent violence in Kurram district, blaming the unrest on misinformation spreading through social media channels. Alam emphasized that the provincial government acted quickly, with visits to the area shortly after the clashes. Efforts to disarm the involved parties are underway, and a peace jirga has been formed by the chief minister to mediate. An operation to confiscate weapons is expected to begin soon.

Opposition Voices Concerns Over Political Violence

During the session, opposition member Jalal Khan from PML-N condemned political violence, particularly the unrest at D-Chowk, and placed the responsibility for the disturbances on the political leadership. He called for dialogue rather than conflict and urged leaders to cease actions that risk the lives of innocent citizens. Stop playing with the lives of innocent people, Khan stated, demanding accountability for those responsible for the casualties during the protests.

Adjournment and Upcoming Session

The session concluded with a quorum challenge raised by opposition member Nisar Baz, leading to its adjournment. The House is scheduled to reconvene on December 3 at 2 PM to continue deliberations.