HEC Team Visits UVAS for Accessibility Audit

By Farzana Chaudhry | Lahore
LAHORE: A delegation from the Higher Education Commission Pakistan (HEC) visited the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore to conduct an accessibility audit and review institutional facilities and policies.
The HEC team was led by Director General Research & Analysis Activities (R&AA) Saleem Ullah Sohoo, accompanied by Deputy Director Riaz Ahmad Qureshi and Disability Officer Meer Hassan. The delegation called on Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Younus and later held a detailed meeting at the City Campus Lahore.
The meeting was chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Younus and attended by deans, chairpersons, faculty members, and administrative officers. During the session, the Vice-Chancellor highlighted the university’s historic role in veterinary education, its five faculties, academic programs, and contributions to the livestock sector and national economy.
He noted that UVAS has recently secured a position among the top 51–100 universities globally in veterinary sciences in the QS Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026. He also emphasized the university’s efforts toward financial sustainability and income generation.
Prof. Younus further underlined that UVAS maintains a zero-tolerance policy on harassment through its Anti-Harassment Committee, in line with HEC guidelines. He added that all campuses are smoke-free, with strict penalties in place for violations.
Speaking on the occasion, Saleem Ullah Sohoo shared HEC’s policies and guidelines regarding anti-drug and anti-harassment measures, as well as new student-focused initiatives. He stressed the importance of organizing awareness seminars within universities.
The meeting also reviewed various aspects, including refund policies, compliance with HEC regulations, accessibility of classrooms, libraries, laboratories, restrooms, and common areas, as well as IT infrastructure, parking, signage, and overall campus accessibility. The HEC team also interacted with key stakeholders to better understand challenges faced within the university.
Following the meeting, the delegation visited multiple departments to inspect facilities and assess accessibility standards.
Separately, a certificate distribution ceremony was held at the UVAS Veterinary Academy for participants of the HEC Mentoring Programme’s Mentoring Module Session, organized jointly by the Mentorship Programme Committee (MPC) and the Center for Educational Policy and Administration (CEPA).
Director General Saleem Ullah Sohoo distributed certificates among participants at the ceremony, which was also attended by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Younus, MPC Convener Prof. Dr. Aneela Zameer Durrani, Organizing Secretary Dr. Sadia Nawaz, and others.