The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has strongly opposed the Sindh government’s decision to appoint bureaucrats as vice-chancellors of public sector universities in the province. In a letter to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed termed such a move as detrimental to academic integrity. He urged the provincial administration to drop plans to amend the Sindh Universities and Institutes Act, 2018, to facilitate such changes. Dr Ahmed expressed serious concern over reports of proposed legislative amendments that would change the criteria for appointment of VCs and vice-chancellors in public universities in Sindh. The proposed changes, if adopted, would allow non-PhD holders to be eligible for these key academic positions, a move that HEC says will harm the academic standards of higher education institutions. The appointment of non-university administrators to positions traditionally reserved for academics could undermine academic freedom, stifle critical thinking and create a harmful precedent for other provinces, we read in the letter. "Such decisions will have considerable consequences for the quality and autonomy of higher education."
Citing the decision of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) dated April 7, 2021, the letter reminded the Sindh government that HEC is recognized as the only national higher education standards body in Pakistan. The CCI resolution reinforced the need for the HEC to oversee and maintain uniformity in higher education policies nationwide.
