Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: One of the best ranked universities in the country, the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad is being run without key administrative officials including vice chancellor, registrar, controller examination, treasurer and some other important slots are either lying vacant or being functioned on adhocism bases.

As per available information, QAU VC Dr Javed Ashraf was sent on leave when he had been convinced by the Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training for applying for a 10-day official leave.

The major reason for sending him on packing was owing to the allegations from university faculty members, terming him incompetent for this post and failing to run the university in an appropriate manner. They demanded for his immediate removal from the post.

In this regard, the faculty held strike for over 50 days. Suspension of academic activities for around three months affected the ongoing semester which was comprised on five months duration.

After many days, the education ministry finally went ahead and formed a 10-member committee to probe into the leveled allegations by the faculty on the vice chancellor and so a Term of Reference was inked on March 28 after which the strike was called off by the protesting teachers and official business was restored in the university.

It was agreed that the VC would stay on leave during the course of investigation and the findings of inquiry would be concluded within 10 days. However, as per sources, practically no significant outcomes were yielded in this regard despite passage of committed timeframe.

The university also has no permanent registrar. The available information revealed that last year, the university’s syndicate had sent register Dr Shafiqur Rahman on forced leave for an indefinite period only to be replaced by Sabir Khan as an acting registrar who was also been sent on forced leave in May last year by the syndicate. Both officials were accused for their involvement in some irregularities in the university.

Moreover, the post of Controller Examination has also been lying vacant for the past many months when controller Sardar Babar also had been sent on forced leave by the same syndicate on a sexual harassment case.

Another key position of the treasurer is also not filled for the past many months. While as per rules, the treasurer was supposed as custodian of all financial affairs of the university.

Furthermore, the QAU also has no permanent Purchase Section Officer who is responsible for overseeing all matters related to any kind of purchase in the university.

Besides administrative vacant slots, many other academic positions were also vacant since long. This was also pointed out by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in its 73 pages inquiry report on QAU affairs.

“The university did not take any concrete steps to fill key positions which had been lying vacant since years,” stated the report.

Federal Education & Professional Training Minister Muhammad Balighur Rahman who is pro-vice chancellor of QAU told Daily Times, that the committee’s findings would be concluded “hopefully in a couple of days”. He, however, did not comment over the vacant positions in the university.

Published in Daily Times, April 30^th 2018.