Agriculture University VC’s extension sparks criticism
Staff Reporter
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s expected decision to approve an additional one-year extension for Prof Dr Jehan Bakht, the Vice-Chancellor of Agriculture University Peshawar, has drawn criticism from senior academics and retired professors across the province.
According to sources, key members of the academic community have expressed serious concerns over the move, alleging that the vice chancellor’s past six-year tenure has witnessed a visible decline in the university’s academic standards and the overall performance. They have called upon the KP government to thoroughly assess Dr Jehan Bakht’s tenure under the provisions of the Universities Act before approving any extension.
Critics argue that despite being in office for six years, the vice chancellor failed to initiate any significant development project in the university. They further alleged that even a major initiative that was launched under the previous administration saw only partial progress, with around 30 percent of its funds reportedly utilized due to what they described as ‘ineptitude and negligence’ on the part of the current university administration.
Sources within the university claimed that the deans and senior professors have become increasingly reluctant to continue under the present leadership. “The internal environment has deteriorated to a level where senior faculty no longer feel motivated or empowered,” a senior official requesting anonymity told this scribe.
Academic circles have also raised questions about the university’s current standing in national rankings, urging the provincial government to compare the institution’s position in the Higher Education Commission (HEC) rankings from six years ago with its status today. Many believe this comparison would highlight a steep decline in academic reputation and research output.
Retired and serving educationists have jointly appealed to the Chief Minister and the Higher Education Minister to halt the expected extension process. They have demanded an independent inquiry into the vice chancellor’s performance, arguing that any decision on tenure extension should be based on transparent performance indicators, as outlined in the Universities Act.
Observers believe that if the extension is approved without a formal evaluation, it could undermine the credibility of the provincial government’s stance on higher education reforms and raise concerns about bureaucratic influence in the academic affairs.
When contacted for a comment, Secretary Higher Education Department Kamran Afridi said that actually the provision of one-year extension to all those VCs appointed on a three-year tenure is according to newly amended Universities Act, in which the tenure is four-year for a VC.
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