The 4th Meeting of the Board of Governors (BoG) of HANDS Institute of Development Studies (HANDS IDS) was held on Saturday, September 05, 2026, at the Board Room of HANDS IDS. The meeting was chaired by the Chancellor, Prof. (Emeritus) Dr. Abdul Ghaffar Billoo.
In his welcome address, the Chancellor acknowledged and appreciated the sustained efforts of the Rector, Prof. (Meritorious) Dr. Abu Zar Wajidi, and his team in advancing the institutional development of HANDS IDS. He commended their commitment, leadership and continued efforts toward strengthening the University.
Distinguished Participants
• Prof. (Emeritus) Dr. Abdul Ghaffar Billoo, Chancellor, HANDS IDS
• Prof. (Meritorious) Dr. Abu Zar Wajidi, Rector, HANDS IDS
• Dr. Shaikh Tanvir Ahmed, Chairman, HANDS Foundation
• Dr. Saeed Ismail, Member, Governing Board, HANDS Foundation
• Mr. Maqbool Ahmed Rahu, Chief Executive, HANDS Foundation
• Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General, COMSTECH
• Mr. Bashir Jan Mohammad, Chancellor, IoBM
• Prof. Dr. Engr. Ather Mehboob, HEC Representative and Vice Chancellor, Al-Khawarizmi University
• Prof. Dr. Fateh Muhammad Marri, former Vice Chancellor, Sindh Agriculture University
• Prof. Dr. Nazli Hossain, Vice Chancellor, DUHS
• Prof. Dr. Syed Shabib ul Hassan, former Vice Chancellor, Hamdard University
• Mr. Ali Hasan Brohi, Advisor, Banking Mohtasib
• Mr. Shabbir Bilwani, Philanthropist and prominent businessman
• Dr. Rafat Nabi, Visiting Researcher, Lancaster University & Leeds University, UK
• Prof. Dr. Monir Ahmed, Dean, HANDS IDS
• Mr. Muhammad Zahir Khan, Director Finance, HANDS IDS
• Mr. Nazir Ahmed Shaikh, Registrar / Secretary BoG, HANDS IDS
The Rector presented the HANDS IDS Progress Report covering the period August 2025 to July 2026. He briefed the Board on the institution’s significant academic and institutional achievements during the year.
Among the major milestones highlighted were the accreditation of the PhD programmes, approval of the Evaluation Report by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), and the issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NoC) by the Pakistan Nursing & Midwifery Council (PNMC) for the BSN and other degree programmes.
The Rector also informed the Board about the establishment of the Faculty of Science and the creation of the Department of Computer & Information Systems (DCIS), which will offer BS programmes in Computer Science and Data Sciences. The institution is awaiting the Zero Visit by the National Computing Education Accreditation Council (NCEAC), an important step toward accreditation of the relevant programmes.
The Board members expressed their appreciation for the impressive progress achieved by HANDS IDS. Dr. Shaikh Tanvir Ahmed, Chairman, HANDS Foundation, particularly commended the Rector and his team, observing that the milestones achieved by HANDS IDS within such a short period are remarkable and would normally take other institutions several years to accomplish.
Prof. Dr. Nazli Hossain, Vice Chancellor, DUHS, who has been instrumental in supporting the College of Nursing, expressed her appreciation for the institution’s progress. She assured the Board of her continued cooperation and support to help bring the HANDS IDS College of Nursing at par with leading institutions.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General, COMSTECH, expressed satisfaction with the progress presented and acknowledged the strong leadership of the Rector. Mr. Shabbir Bilwani, philanthropist and prominent businessman, also appreciated the institution’s achievements and reaffirmed his willingness to extend his support for the advancement of education.
The meeting provided an important platform for the Board to review institutional progress and deliberate on key academic and governance matters. The Board considered matters relating to the Academic Council, Advanced Studies & Research Board (ASRB), Board of Faculty (BoF), and Boards of Studies (BoSs). The decisions and recommendations of the 4th Academic Council Meeting and the 1st ASRB Meeting were duly endorsed.
The Director Finance, HANDS IDS, Mr. Muhammad Zahir Khan, presented the financial report, including the Budget versus Actuals for the previous financial year and the Proposed Budget for 2026–2027.
The Board confirmed the minutes of the previous meeting and approved the Budget versus Actuals for July 2025 to June 2026, the Financial Statements, and the Proposed Budget for 2026–2027.
Dr. Saeed Ismail, Member, Governing Board, HANDS Foundation, sought clarification on aspects of the Financial Statements, while Mr. Ali Hasan Brohi, Advisor, Banking Mohtasib, raised technical questions regarding the budget. Mr. Muhammad Zahir Khan responded to the queries comprehensively and satisfactorily.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Chancellor appreciated the quality of the presentations, the effective conduct of the BOG proceedings, and the meticulous documentation maintained by the Registrar, Mr. Nazir Ahmed Shaikh, who also serves as Secretary to the Board of Governors.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks, marking another important milestone in the continued academic, administrative and institutional development of HANDS-IDS