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ISLAMABAD: More than 1,200 students of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) are struggling to get their hard-earned degrees, as the office of the vice-chancellor (VC) has been lying vacant for the last two months, causing a serious administrative deadlock.
Visiting faculty members are also desperately looking towards the VC office as their dues have been pending for a long time. The university is also facing a financial crisis, and no one is there to properly pursue the funding case with the federal government, Dawn has learnt.
“Without the signature of the VC we can’t issue degrees. Currently, over 1,200 degrees are pending,” said an official of the QAU, when contacted to seek comments.
“Let alone a regular VC, we don’t even have an acting VC,” said the official, adding that all important administrative issues of the university have been pending for the last two months.
No acting VC in place, halting major administrative functions; over 150 faculty members remain unpaid; two senior deans interviewed at Presidency for acting charge
“Our syndicate meetings, selection board meetings, and several other meetings are pending, as without a VC these meetings can’t be held,” the official said.
The previous VC, Prof Dr Niaz Ahmed Akhtar, relinquished charge on February 6 after being appointed chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Since then, the university has been functioning without an acting or regular VC.
“I completed my graduation last year and now want to apply to a university abroad, but I am unable to get my degree. Our career is at stake. Whenever I contacted my department, they said that until a VC is appointed, degrees can’t be issued,” said a student, wishing not to be named.
Sources said there were over 150 visiting faculty members of the QAU who had been unpaid for the last two years.
“Earlier, the university was facing a funding issue. Some months ago, the federal government released some funding, but now there is no VC to sign off on our salaries,” a visiting faculty member said.
The sources said the education ministry, some weeks ago, had sent a summary carrying three names of educationists to the federal government for assigning acting charge to one of them. Meanwhile, the process for regular appointment has not yet been initiated. As per rules, the president of Pakistan, being chancellor, is the competent authority to appoint anyone as acting VC until a regular VC is appointed.
The senior dean or the most senior professor of the university is supposed to be given the acting charge of VC.
“The President’s Office is cognisant of this issue and hopefully this matter will be resolved in the next few days, as on Thursday, two senior deans were interviewed at the Presidency for the acting charge,“ said an official source.
Talking to Dawn, some of the QAU officials expressed their serious concerns over the inordinate delay in the appointment of the new VC.
“The government was taking an unusually long time to assign acting charge, which suggests that the appointment of a regular VC might also be delayed,” said an official. He said the university was also facing financial issues, as the government had earmarked Rs2 billion last year as a bailout package. However, out of the total amount, only Rs500 million have been released so far.
“The appointment of a VC is imperative to take up the issue of funding with the government to get the remaining amount of the bailout package,” the official said.
Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2026
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