By our correspondent
KARACHI: For the effective functioning of public sector institutions, regular oversight from the government is imperative to promptly identify and address any signs of malpractice or corruption. However, when administrative accountability is lacking, institutions like the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto University of Law (SZABUL) can evade responsibility for prolonged periods, necessitating occasional investigative reports to expose serious misconduct.
“There has been no permanent Vice Chancellor at SZABUL for the past six months, and the Vice Chancellor of Dow Medical College has been appointed as an interim measure by the caretaker government. It’s inconceivable to expect the Vice Chancellor of a medical university to effectively manage a law university. Although preparations for the recruitment process began before the former VC’s term ended, no new VC has been appointed to date,” asserted Dr. Tariq Rafi, Chairman of HEC Sindh. He further disclosed that the former VC was receiving an exorbitant salary, potentially the highest among public sector institutions in the country.
According to the report from the Charter Inspection and Evaluation Committee, SZABUL exhibits ad-hocism across various administrative levels. The Vice Chancellor unilaterally appoints the Dean using powers delegated by the Chief Minister, and the Search Committee, responsible for recommending VC appointments in Sindh’s public universities, forwards expert names to the caretaker chief minister for candidate interviews.
