Peshawar: Professor Dr Haider Shah has been appointed as acting vice-chancellor of the Islamia College University (ICU), notified the governor, who is chancellor of public sector universities in the province, on Wednesday.

Dr Haider Shah is the senior most professor of the university. A professor of chemistry, he is the dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences. The office of the vice-chancellor remained vacant for more than seven months after the kidnapping of Ajmal Khan in September 2010.

According to the Islamia College University Act 2009, if the office of the vice-chancellor fell vacant for any reason, the senior most professor/official of the university would be given the acting charge of the office.

Former governor/chancellor of the university Owais Ahmad Ghani had failed to appoint the acting vice-chancellor. According to sources, he once tried to appoint a junior professor as acting vice-chancellor but strong reaction from the senior officials and professors of the university forced him to withdraw his decision.