KARACHI: A matter has surfaced regarding the alleged holding of two senior positions simultaneously by the executive director of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), raising questions over administrative overlap and institutional compliance.
According to reports, HEC Executive Director Dr. Ziaur Rehman is also serving as the Vice Chancellor of Khyber Medical University. While he has been appointed as Executive Director of HEC Islamabad for a four-year term, he has reportedly not yet stepped down from his vice chancellorship.
The situation has drawn attention within academic circles, as the Executive Director of HEC is responsible for providing policy guidance and administrative oversight to vice chancellors across universities nationwide, while simultaneously holding a university leadership position himself.
HEC Chairman Professor Dr. Niaz Ahmed, when asked about the issue during a visit to Karachi, stated that he was not aware of the matter and would look into it upon returning to Islamabad.
He made these remarks while interacting with media during meetings with senior education officials and visits to several universities in Karachi, including the Sindh Higher Education Commission, NED University of Engineering and Technology, and the Institute of Business Administration (IBA).
During his visit, Dr. Niaz Ahmed also addressed a ceremony at Karachi Metropolitan University, where scholarships worth Rs50 million were distributed among 46 students by alumni. He highlighted that around four million students are currently enrolled in universities across Pakistan and stressed ongoing HEC initiatives for teacher training and research development in both public and private institutions.
