Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Several committees formed by the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) to investigate alleged irregularities have failed to perform their tasks.

The committees had been constituted by the QAU Syndicate last month.

In its meeting held on March 1, the QAU Syndicate formulated various committees to probe several irregularities in the university. However, the committees have not held a single meeting so far.

One such committee was formed to investigate a complaint filed against the university administration by a visiting Chinese delegation. The three-member delegation had arrived to visit the Department of Earth Sciences (DES). However, all the rooms of the department were locked.

The committee’s convener is a syndicate member, who also represents the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Xinjiang Institute of Engineering Urumqi, China had inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with QAU in 2015 about academic cooperation and a scholar exchange programme.

After getting approval from the Pakistani government, a delegation, comprising three senior professors of different universities of China, visited the QAU. Academic exchanges, potential cooperation projects were also part of the visiting delegation’s agenda.

Sources privy to the investigation disclosed that when the delegation reached the QAU, DES Chairperson Dr Mona Liza locked down all the rooms of the department, including labs. VC Dr Javed Ashraf and other officials did not meet the delegation as well.

After a long wait, the delegation returned to China without meeting any high-ranking QAU official.

After reaching home, the Chinese delegation sent an email to HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed and informed him about how they had been received. They requested him to make better arrangements to avoid such situations in future. Dr Ahmed pointed out the issue in the QAU Syndicate meeting. The Syndicate had then formed a committee to probe the matter.

Another committee was constituted by the Syndicate to investigate a similar incident. A delegation of the China University of Geosciences, Wuhan (China) had visited the QAU to renew an MoU.

Under the existing agreement, around six QAU students were already studying in China on scholarships. The Chinese university aimed to provide 15 more such scholarships to the QAU.

The QAU administration once again locked down the department, when the delegation visited the campus according to schedule. They turned back without holding any meeting with university officials.

They then informed the HEC chairman, the Pro-VC QAU and Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training Secretary Haseeb Athar. Another committee was formed under the chairmanship of Syndicate member Zafarullah. It was assigned two tasks: firstly, it was to investigate the incorrect information provided by the university administration to the QAU Chancellor and President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain.

The QAU administration had canceled the membership of Roshan Khurshid Brocha and Dr Shahid Hassan Siddiqi from the previous Syndicate, citing two separate reasons. The QAU informed the presidency that Khurshid Brocha had not attended three consecutive meetings of the Syndicate as a result of which her membership had been canceled as per QAU rules.

For the other member, Dr Shahid Hassan Siddiqi, the university management told the presidency that he had resigned. Both members approached the Chancellor’s Office and justified themselves, while rejecting the statements of the varsity regarding their absence and resignation.

The second task of the above committee was to probe into the allegations by Dr Siddiqi against the QAU administration, regarding changing the minutes of meetings during which the Syndicate had taken important decisions. According to university sources, this committee had not produced any result so far.

When contacted, QAU VC Dr Ashraf, who is also the chairperson of the Syndicate, refused to comment on any of the issues.