History of army officers as head of Universities: Only in Pakistan!

Another army man as VC
DAWN, October 10, 2006
Column: Letters to the Editor by Hasan Askari Rizvi

REFERENCE your editorial ‘Another army man as VC’ (Sept 29) expressing shock and concern at the appointment of a retired brigadier as vice-chancellor of Balochistan University “in total disregard of academic requirements.”

By now it has become a common practice to appoint retired senior army officers to top academic jobs in the universities as a part of the government policy of inducting retired and serving military officers to senior and lucrative civilian jobs.

The army officers who are appointed vice-chancellors do not fulfil the criterion set out for appointment of civilians to this office

The practice of appointing retired army officers as vice-chancellors began in the late 1970s. A retired brigadier served as vice-chancellor of Balochistan University from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. Another retired brigadier worked as pro vice-chancellor of this university during 1998-2001.

Now a retired brigadier takes over this university on Oct 7. In addition to this, the Balochistan University of Engineering and Technology, Khuzdar, and the University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Uthal, Lasbella, are headed by retired brigadiers.

The University of Peshawar had its share of retied army officers. In 1993, a retired major- general briefly served as its vice-chancellor. A retired lieutenant-general and former corps commander, Peshawar, assumed this office in January 2004 on a two-year contract amidst protest by students and teachers of Peshawar University. A retired air vice-marshal also headed the NWFP University of Engineering and Technology in 2003-2004.

In August 2001, a retired navy commander was appointed registrar of Karachi University. However, his appointment was withdrawn within a couple of days in view of the protest by university teachers.

One of the vice-chancellors of the Quaid-i-Azam University had a dual background of the army and the bureaucracy. A retired army captain and a senior bureaucrat presided over the Quaid-i-Azam University for four years and obtained a PhD degree towards the end of his career from a newly-established university in Islamabad.

The University of Punjab appears to be most accommodating towards retired officers. A retired lieutenant-general served as its vice-chancellor in 1993-97, who became the governor of Punjab after the military takeover in October 1999.

Another lieutenant-general has been heading Punjab University since September 1999. Two retired colonels served as its registrars during 1999-2005. A couple of colonels and others are still holding some posts in Punjab University.

The vice-chancellor of the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, is also a retired lieutenant-general, who is now enjoying a second term after completing his first term of four years.

Some lieutenant-generals/vice-chancellors talk of their master’s degree in defence and strategic studies from the Quaid-i-Azam University. There is a little catch in it.

This degree is awarded to them after they complete one year National Defence (ND) course at the National Defence College, Islamabad, (soon to be elevated to the status of university) because the Quaid-i-Azam University has given MA equivalence to the ND course.

If these officers register directly with the Quaid-i-Azam University, they will have to spend two years to obtain a similar degree. No doubt, senior military officers are a privileged class in Pakistan.