LAHORE: The Senate of the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD) is facing scrutiny following a series of questionable administrative decisions like permitting an ‘under inquiry’ acting vice chancellor to conduct senate proceedings, ignoring recommendations to reassign the acting VC post to the senior-most faculty member and maintaining the existing search committee without a review.

The president of Pakistan/chancellor has served a show-cause notice upon the institute’s Senate, warning to appoint a five-member review panel to inspect its functioning after it “defied explicit presidential directives”.

The chancellor had directed the PIFD Senate to reconsider the acting charge of VC Prof Hina Tayyaba Khalil and assign it to another senior-most faculty member “owing to an inquiry into allegations pending against her”. The chancellor had also ordered reconstitution of the search committee to select a permanent VC.

The show-cause notice, available with Dawn, flags serious procedural concerns, noting that Prof Khalil continued to serve as acting VC and also participated as the senate secretary in deliberations on agenda items directly concerning her.

The president termed the decision “contradictory to the principles of objectivity and procedural fairness”. It observed that the senate’s refusal to reconstitute the search committee to select a permanent VC was taken “without any substantive engagement” and could not be regarded as reconsideration in compliance with the explicit directions.

Prof Khalil has been heading the Pakistan School of Fashion Design (PSFD), renamed PIFD in 2004, for the past about 26 years, beginning with the school’s principal from the year 2001 to 2008; CEO/principal from 2008 to 2011. In 2011, she was appointed as PIFD acting VC and served the institute for six years until 2016 when she was elevated as a regular VC for five years and then earned a second tenure from Jan 13, 2021 for a period of five years.

While Prof Khalil is still holding the acting VC post, sources say there is no further approval from the Presidency since her tenure completed on Jan 12 this year.

The chancellor had issued directives on April 27 and June 24, 2026, asking the PIFD senate to reconsider the acting charge of VC Prof Khalil and assign it to another senior-most officer, pending an inquiry into allegations against her as well as reconstitute the search committee to select a permanent head.

However, the senate, in its 18th meeting conducted by Prof Khalil herself as its secretary on July 31, resolved to retain her (Prof Khalil) in her position of acting VC while forming an internal inquiry committee. It further refused to reconstitute the search committee.

In the most recent notice, the chancellor has directed the senate to submit a written response within 15 days, explaining why a five-member review panel should not be constituted to probe its conduct.

The presidency warned, if the senate fails to respond within the stipulated 15-day deadline, it will be presumed that the institute has no defense, and the chancellor will proceed with unilateral action under the PIFD Act.

Dawn approached PIFD acting VC Prof Khalil and Registrar Dr Muhammad Afzal for their version.

Registrar Dr Afzal responded that the chancellor did not issue absolute directions to mandatorily reconstitute the search committee or to replace Prof Khalil; instead, the chancellor referred the matter back for reconsideration.

“Upon reviewing the situation, and noting the complete absence of any supporting evidence against the stated allegations, the senate decided to continue with Prof Khalil and exercising its lawful authority under section 11(7) of the PIFD Act, 2011, it decided to assign her the additional charge of acting VC,” the registrar contended.

Dr Afzal claimed that the PIFD senate remained fully committed to the highest standards of institutional governance and legal compliance as laid down by PIFD Act 2011 and its statutes.

It may also be mentioned that PIFD’s Prof Asim Naeem has written a letter to the president/chancellor, submitting that he was the senior-most eligible faculty member and might be nominated or appointed as the acting VC.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2026