ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Quaid-i-Azam University Vice Chancellor Dr Niaz Ahmed as the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan.
According to details, the Federal Ministry of Education has issued a notification regarding the appointment of Vice Chancellor Dr Niaz Ahmed. Under the amended act, he has been appointed for a term of two years.
Earlier, a nine-member search committee headed by MQM-Pakistan leader and Federal Minister for Education Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui had forwarded a summary to the prime minister after completing the interview process. The summary included the names of three shortlisted candidates: former NED University vice chancellor Dr Sarosh Hashmat Lodi, University of the Punjab Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ali Shah, and Quaid-i-Azam University Vice Chancellor Dr Niaz Ahmed.
The summary remained at the Prime Minister’s House for nearly two months, after which approval was granted for Dr Niaz Ahmed’s appointment three days ago. The official notification was issued on Friday.
The post of HEC chairman had been vacant since July 29, 2025, and the appointment has been made after a gap of about seven months.
Dr Niaz Ahmed, born in 1962 in Dera Ghazi Khan, has previously served as vice chancellor of the University of the Punjab in addition to Quaid-i-Azam University.
