ISLAMABAD: The Board of Trustees (BoT) of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) headed by President Asif Ali Zardari will meet on Tuesday (today) with the appointment of the new president of the university as the main agenda item.

Chaired by President Zard ari, who is chancellor of IIUI, the BoT will meet at the Presidency and its members would participate either in person or online.

Sources said a panel of three candidates, including a Saudi educationist, would be presented before the BoT for picking one of them as the IIUI president.

The post fell vacant in July last year when the then president and Saudi educationist Dr Hathal Hamoud Alotaibi`s tenure came to an end.

The sources said there were chances that the BoT will recommend the name of another Saudi educationist, Dr Ahmad bin Saad Al Ahmad, assistant professor of physiology at Al Imam University Riyadh, for the IIUI post as his name was included in the list of shortlisted candidates. In December, the BoT had formed a committee to come up with at least three names for appointment to the post. Subsequently, the committee picked three names including the Saudi educationist, Dr Ahmad bin Saad Al Ahmad.

An official of IIUI said the BoT should pass direction for the early appointment of the rector IIUI as well. This position is being run on ad hoc basis for the last many months as Higher Education Commission (HEC)Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed islookingafterthe affairs ofthe rector IIUI as well. Last year, the then rector IIUI Dr Samina Malik was suspended and removed by Supreme Court.

The apex court directed that a competent person should be appointed as the rector. The Supreme Court directed that the chairman HEC or his nominee should be appointed as the acting rector till hiring of the permanent rector. However, so far a regular re ctor has not been appointed.

Meanwhile, sources said the BoT will also approve or reject minutes of the previous meeting held in December.

The BoT may also discuss the issues between the CDA and IIUI. The sources said ahead of the BoT meeting, the ministry of education on Monday convened a meeting of CDA-IIUI officials to discuss the pending issues between the two organisations. The meeting was chaired by the secretary education.

The sources said there were three major issues between IIUI and CDA. The issue relatedto the asphalt plant from near the university and the utilisation of Darbar (m au s oleum) land could not be resolved even after decisions made to resolve them at a meeting of the BoT in 2020.

The BoT in June 2020 had directed the CDA and IIUI to settle the issue of the asphalt plantwithin three months. The asphalt plant is being operated at H-10 near the IIUI with the latter demanding its removal, terming it a health hazard.

The IIUI has also been demanding CDA withdraw letters issued to Pir of Darbar Mastal Sharif regarding the utilisation of a piece of land near the main campus.

The third issue related to property tax. According to an IIUI working paper, `the current claim of property tax by CDA up to 31-10-2023 is Rs685 million`.

On the other hand, a couple of years ago, in response to the meeting of the BoT, CDA officials had told Dawn that the asphalt plant was set up on CDA`s own land, not on the university land. The officials said IIUI`s property tax was pending while it had also constructed a number of buildings without getting approval.

The sources said that in the meeting at the education ministry both the CDA and IIUI officials decided to hold another meeting after Eid to resolve these issues.