Despite the passage of more than three weeks since interviews were conducted for the appointment of chairman to the Higher Education Commission (HEC), the federal government has yet to make a final decision, raising serious questions about institutional governance, transparency and adherence to legal norms. The position of HEC chairman has remained vacant since July 29, 2025.
According to official sources, five candidates -- Prof Dr Hashmat Lodi, Dr Niaz Ahmed, Dr Muhammad Ali Shah, Dr Khalid Hafeez and Dr Sarfaraz Khalid -- were shortlisted following the interviews.
According to a member of the search committee, the first three names have been finally selected, but the delay has led to doubts and rumors as to why the summary has not yet been sent to the prime minister of Pakistan.
The delay has emerged at a time when Federal Secretary for Education Nadeem Mehboob has been serving as acting chairman HEC since July 29. Having already completed his initial three-month acting term, he has now also completed half of his second interim tenure. Education experts argue that prolonged reliance on an acting arrangement undermines institutional stability and fuels doubts about administrative intent.
During this interim period, Acting Chairman Nadeem Mehboob approved several key administrative decisions, including the appointment of an executive director. Raza Chauhan was promoted to Grade 22, while Nasir Hussain Shah and Nazir Hussain were upgraded from Grade 20 to Grade 21 and appointed as advisers. These decisions have drawn objections, as critics say that such actions fall within the mandate of a regular chairman.
Educationists contend that senior-level appointments and promotions of this nature exceed the authority of an acting chairman, and such decisions should be made in the presence of a regular chairman to ensure compliance with legal and institutional requirements. While Nadeem Mehboob, in a previous conversation with this reporter, stated that legal opinion had been sought from the HEC’s legal wing regarding the appointment of the executive director, it is noteworthy that the legal wing also operates under his administrative control.
A senior academic, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “These decisions create the impression of a concentration of authority, which could restrict the effective functioning of any future permanent chairman.”
Meanwhile, questions have intensified over why, despite the completion of interviews, the summary for the appointment of HEC chairman has not been submitted to the prime minister even after three weeks. Efforts were made to ascertain the stance of Federal Secretary for Education and Acting Chairman HEC Nadeem Mehboob, but he did not respond.
