PESHAWAR
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has achieved a landmark moment as renowned academician and public health specialist, Prof. Dr. Zia Ul Haq, Vice Chancellor of Khyber Medical University (KMU), Peshawar, has been appointed Executive Director of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad.
This prestigious appointment comes in recognition of his exceptional leadership, outstanding academic contributions, and distinguished research achievements.
Prof. Dr. Zia Ul Haq is not only the youngest Pakistani educationist to hold this key national office but also the first scholar from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to be entrusted with this important responsibility, an honour that has brought pride to both the province and the academic community across the country.
Belonging to the remote and underdeveloped district of Upper Dir, Prof. Dr. Zia Ul Haq completed his MBBS from the esteemed Khyber Medical College Peshawar, followed by a PhD in Public Health from the prestigious University of Glasgow, United Kingdom. He has also served as the Convener of the Higher Education Task Force established by the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
During his four-year tenure as Vice Chancellor, KMU witnessed remarkable progress in governance, financial stability, academic quality, and research output.
A prolific researcher with 105 publications in national and international journals, he has secured over PKR 5 billion in competitive research funding from global institutions.
Earlier this year, the President of Pakistan awarded him the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in recognition of his academic and research excellence.
Prof. Dr. Zia Ul Haq transformed KMU into the province’s first paperless university, introducing modern e-filing and e-examination systems. Under his leadership, Pakistan’s first Public Health Reference Laboratory successfully conducted almost 2 million COVID-19 tests during the pandemic. Over the past four years, KMU expanded its outreach by establishing 10 remote campuses across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad. Several key academic institutes including the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Mental Health & Behavioural Sciences, and Institute of Pathology & Diagnostic Medicine were also launched under his supervision.
The province’s first specialized teaching hospital built under any university was completed under his leadership. Moreover, KMU recently organized the MD-CAT 2025 examination for more than 40,000 candidates, delivering fair and transparent results within a record 12 hours, earning widespread appreciation from PMDC and relevant national bodies.
Academicians, faculty members, students, and stakeholders in higher education across Pakistan have warmly welcomed his appointment as Executive Director HEC. They have expressed confidence that Prof. Dr. Zia Ul Haq will play a vibrant and decisive role in steering the country’s higher education sector, addressing financial and administrative challenges, and promoting excellence in teaching, research, and innovation nationwide.
