Shoaib Sultan to be appointed as Chairman of Senate at Karakoram International University
By Naweed-e-Sahar
The founding GM of AKRSP, Shoaib Sultan Khan, is being appointed as the Chairman of the Senate of the Karakoram International University (KIU) Gilgit.
The University senate will have 12 members and one secretary. The Registrar KIU is expected to serve as the secretary.
Shoaib Sultan has vast experience in various development institutions in Pakistan. He is considered one of the pioneers of Rural development program in Pakistan and Gilgit-Baltistan. He is currently associated with Rural Support Network and some other development institutions on honorary basis. He has penned many research papers and books and is considers an authority on ‘rural development’.
Shoaib Sultan Khan has served for 59 years in various development organisations including UNICEF, Aga Khan Foundation, UNDP, and RSPN. He also served as a CSP officer in Government of Pakistan. For the last six years he has been involved with the National Rural Support Programmes (NRSP) as honorary Chairman. Shoaib Sultan has also received many awards including the distinguished World Conservation Medal from WWF.
Congt to people of GB and KIU. Shoaib sab has tremandious experience in demonstrating successful relavnt rural developemnt model for South Asia. He was the first General Manger of AKRSP.. spent the first 10 plus years in GB and Chital and put his best to get people out of poverty by fostering local level organizations and creating a pool of national and international level rural devlopment professionals.
He has the local knowledge; credibility; interest; and competency to justify thsi position. I am certain his international networking strength accross the globe willl ensure financial resources mobilization for KIU which is most vital. Moreover his leadeship will create en enabling environment for the KIU to prepare quality university graduates to work within Pakistan and else where.
My best wishes to Shoaib sab- I guess GB is your second home if not first!
Well come to KIU Sir.
Darjat
It is encouraging to know that Mr. Shoaib Sultan saheb will the part of the senate of KIU as chairman. He is well placed due to his wide experience and leadership skills and his reputation is well reorganized internationally as well in Pakistan and specially in GB for his role in development and his participatory approaches. His induction in the Senate will benefit a great deal to KIU and the institution will move ahead with his vision as well as action. Irrespective of the debate of local or non-local, this is the best choice and there can be no better selection than this.
A very holistic development to promote quality education in Gilgit-Baltistan as Mr.Sohaib Sultan has been appointed as a chairman of senate at Karakorum international university Gilgit.
Mr. Shohaib is a well known personality not only among the people of Gilgit-Baltistan; he is a very popular and competitive expert in development sector.
The first General Manager of AKRSP in northern areas history also reveals the expertly quality of his life, and he is also the founder of different rural support programs in different provinces of Pakistan as NRSP is central foundation.
PRSR,SRSP are some of examples of his contribution in development sector. I am very glad to know about is appointment as a chairman of senate at Karakorum international university Gilgit. I hope being a very expert in development sector; he will take initiatives to improve the quality education in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Masood Ali
Shimshalic
No doubt that Shoaib Sultan is an expert in rural development but his CV does not include any outstanding work in the discipline of academics. It is a very sensitive position and someone with a background of academics would do the job much better.
Mr. Darjat is a well known and experienced engineer with good reputation but still he can not be positioned as a DHO to run the business of medicines. To me his appointment is like a square pig in a round hole.
Correction…. Peg ( A square peg in round hole )
The comments made by Mr.Farhad Baig are very objective and critical. Mr.Shoaib Khan Sultan Khan may be expert in rural development but there is a hell lot of difference between rural development and making decisions about academic programs and improving quality of education of a University. Mr.Baig is very right in comparing it “to the appointment of an engineer as a medical doctor”.
We have a strange national trait. When we praise a person,we take him to the sky and depict him like a person with magic wand who can fix every thing. We forget that one person cannot have all the expertise in the world. Human beings have natural constraints.
Similarly,when we reject a person,all the decencies are lost and we start hitting below the belt. Let us be objective and analytical for a while.
I strongly agree with the comments made by mr.Farhad Baig. He has objectively analysed the issue and rightly equated it with the appointment of an engineer as a DHO. Mr.Shoaib S.Khan may be expert in the field of rural development. But there is a hell lot of difference between rural development and an academia. However, any thing can happen in the land of pure. But as intellectuals we must critically examine issues instead of blindly following one person who has said something,which may reflect his personal association.
Sorry. There has been typographical in the third line before the last line.The spelling of critically and blindly may please be corrected.
To day I sent two comments with reference to the comments of Mr.Farhad Baig with respect to the appointment of Mr.Shoaib S.Khan. Uncharacteristic of Pamir Times, my comments were not and have not been shown so far. Has Pamir Times changed its policy of not entertaining comments from people like me. Don’t you believe in freedom of expression?
I respectfully disagree with the comments made by Dr. Sabit Rahim Saheb and Mr. Farhat Baig but at the same time I acknowledge the importance of their point of view as excellence comes from diversity of opinions. My disagreement with the comments revolve around the notion that senate of a university is not purely an academic body rather it is an advisory body which advices on matters pertaining to education, budget, long term plans, facilities (both academic and otherwise), personnel (including faculty, staff and student affairs). In other words, it facilitates the university in areas such as policy, development and operations. These functions, of course, require a wide range of experts, who contribute based on their knowledge, experience and areas of expertise. Shoaib Sultan Khan brings with him a treasure of experience in planning and implementation, budgeting and staffing, development and organization, participatory approaches, and monitoring and evaluation. He has tremendous potential to contribute to the university. He knows the region and people and his services are well known to the people. At the same time he has a national and international exposure, which at this moment the university needs very much.
As we know that in our country the President is the chancellor of federal universities and the governors are chancellors of provincial universities. If the President and governors (whose qualifications and expertise are known to everyone!) can be the head of universities, why intellectual like Shoaib Sultan can not be the chairman of the senate?
In our country, ministers of education have been the ones who have everything except education, then why a well educated person should not be accepted as the chairman of the senate?
Sahibzada Yaqoob Khan served as Chairman of Trustees of AKU for many years, he was not a doctor nor he was an educationist, but he contributed a lot due to his experience and exposure. Same is true for Shaoib Sultan saheb, whose being part of the senate of KIU will make a visible difference.
Congratulations to KIU to have a person like Shoaib Sultan Khan as the chairman of its Senate. I have reasons to support the decision of his appointment as it is a recognition of his services rendered as General Manager of AKRSP which has been a major player in the development of the whole region. He has been a true friend of the people of Gilgit Baltistan and people have very high respect for him. His contacts in the bureaucracy and international development agencies is well-known to everyone and in this capacity he will be very beneficial for KIU which has been struggling administratively and otherwise and this new appointment will definitely have a positive impact.
I wish Mr. Shoaib all the best.
I welcome this proposal/decision, if any. Agreeing to the objectivity of the critical points raised above, let us be optimistic of this change. If we analyse the performace of earlier VCs and the faculties, particularly promoting the culture of nepotism and discouraging meritocracy in this institution of higher learning, we all need to agree that an immediate change in the atmosphere is desperatly required. We should urge all the stakeholders to strengthen the senate for doing a deep surgery for removing sores from various parts of the body.
This institution is the only source of higher learning in the region thus future of the coming generations depend on its productivity. Its now duty of every person belonging to GB to extend support for the development and expansion of the institution through pragmatic approaches, ensuring financial resources, promoting culture of merit, justice, respect, patience, and foresightness.
As there is no any option for a preview of comments before submission, errors in grammer & spell are normal….my apologies especially for the readers who matter.
strongly agree with the comments made by Mr.Farhad Baig. He analyzed the issue very wisely. In my opinion a Chairman cannot do anything until or unless you don’t have a VC. Like Dr. Najam. I must say people of GB are very much unlucky that we lose him at the time when he was enthusiastic to establish KIU as a University. Bad luck for those who really need Quality Education. No doubt Shoaib Sultan Khan is a world recognised educated person with a great experience of Rural Development Management. Let’s do hope for the best and good luck.
Ejaz Karim
Shoaib Sultan could’t resist nepotism and appreciated meritocracy in his previous organizations including AKRSP. How can we expect him to do the opposite at KIU. We should debate on facts and figures rather than hero worshiping or being impressed with personalities.
Provincial universities have suffered in past when they did the same by imposing Vice chancellors in uniform. And the well known comments on the issue by a professor were that ” if a General can become a Vice chancellor then why should i not be positioned as core commander.
But still i pray for Shoaib to come up with the expectations of his ex subordinates.
I think we shall all think optimistic and wish everyone best of luck for a good deed work. I believe Mr. Khan has been performing Marvelously good in the development of rural areas in pakistan.