ISLAMABAD: Despite the ban on creation of new positions in public sector employments by the federal government, the country’s rank one Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) does not take that into account and has created a post of Adviser Finance and Administration (AF&A). The available information states that the said post has been advertised in May. It was required for the desiring candidates to be at least 55 years old with a master’s degree in finance and 25 years of working experience in the relevant field. The sources in the varsity disclosed to Daily Times that around five lac monthly salary including an official vehicle with a driver would be provided from the university’s funds to the selected candidate on the advertised post. The QAU’s accounts section is of the view that in case of the placement, an additional chunk of Rs 6.239 million will be required in the annual varsity budget. The sources further revealed that the adviser’s post was proposed by the Vice Chancellor Javaid Ashraf in a syndicate meeting held in April this year wherein the participants strongly opposed the proposal due to scant availability of funds in the varsity budget. A document on the consideration of the post reads that the (AF&A) would be authorised to advise the university administration, the Syndicate, the Academic Council, Selection Board and Finance and Planning Committee in the QAU as per requirement or matters referred to him/ her. All efforts of the debaters who intended to secure almost Rs 6.239 from the national wealth went in-vain as they failed to convince their boss (VC) on a legal point which was the matter of financial concern as well. A senior official close to the matter and claims anonymity, said that the VC wished to appoint one of his close aids to the position. The VC’s friend had earlier served in the Federal Public Service Commission as member and had recently retired. While sharing the said person’s CV, the official maintained that it seemed like the advertised post was only specified for him as each and every requirement in the advertisement was completely similar to the CV. Usually in the employment ads, the maximum age limit used to be included among other basic requirements in the application criteria. But very interestingly, the QAU’s advertisement for the AF&A set the minimum age limit as not less then 55 years according to the published advertisement. “The reason for this aberrant practice was that VC’s most favorite candidate, who is over 55 years old”, maintained the official. Beside the syndicate meeting the impedance was also seen at the meeting of the Finance and Planning committee held on May 11, said the official. As the Higher Education Commission (HEC) is the funding body for the higher education sector varsities, a nominee Syed Samer Sibtain from the finance section of the commission was also called to the F&P meeting in which Sabtain showed displeasure over the proposed AF&A appointment. “If the HEC is also not willing to provide the funds for the said post, the salary for the AF&A would be managed from any other head of the varsity, which will be illegal and aggravate the already existing deficit in the varsity”, regretted the official. Meanwhile, the varsity’s syndicate is functioning without a faculty dean as it was mandatory that any senior dean should be part of the syndicate and the the post faculty of the Natural Sciences Dean has been assumed by the VC Ashraf on an additional charge after Dr.Fazal Bhatti’s retirement on June 9. According to sources, Ashraf also repeated the same exercise in the past. Quaid-e-Azam University Act 1973 states that a professor would be inducted on the post. The list of senior most professors in the Natural sciences department includes the names of Dr.Azhar Abbas Rizvi, Dr Amin Badshah and Dr.Muhammad Ayub. VC Ashraf,when contacted said that the post was an administrative necessity and was going to be filled purely on merit. When asked about the salary, the VC claimed “his salary would be equivalent to a fresh professor rather then rumours of the five lac per month”. As far as the faculty dean and syndicate member is concerned, he said that the president of Pakistan was the appointing authority and a VC could only send a proposal draft which was sent a month ago.