Daily Times

We could not find eligible candidates against the vacant teaching and non-teaching positions in different departments and so this left us with no alternative but to take staffers on ad-hoc basis to run the university affairs, Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) Vice Chancellor Dr Samina Qadir said.

She said that the university advertised vacant positions several times in national newspapers but failed to find any suitable candidate against the required post.

“What do we do if no candidate fulfils the required qualification and criteria,” she said, while talking exclusively to Daily Times, adding that the compliance of set rules is our top priority which would not be compromised at any cost.

FJWU Vice Chancellor Dr Samina Qadir explained this during a talk with reporters.

“We also informed the Higher Education Commission as it is responsible for funds’ provision,” she claimed. Moreover, she said, we are also planning to advertise vacant faculty slots once again.

Despite 20 years of its establishment, sources said, the FJWU still has a total of two professors and six associate professors to run academic affairs of 18 departments. VC Dr Samina Qadir also admitted this fact.

Moreover, as per obtained information, there are a total of five faculties in the FJWU. Out of them, three faculties have no permanent deans. Surprisingly, some of the top administrative positions are occupied by alleged handpicked contractual staffers in violation of university rules.

Professor Dr Uzaira Rafique and Dr Azra Yasmin are the deans of the Faculty of Science & Technology and the Faculty of Management & Administration Sciences respectively. Apart from these two faculties, the Faculty of Islamic & Oriental Learning, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences and Faculty of Education are functioning without permanent deans, revealed well-placed sources.

The available information stated that Dr Azra Yasmin is a professor at the Environmental Department but she is holding the position of Faculty of Management Sciences dean, which has no relevance to her academic background. Besides deanship, sources added, Dr Yasmin is also working against other different positions additionally on temporary basis such as hall council chairperson, admissions adviser, purchase committee chairperson, library in charge and head of multiple departments.

Moreover, sources informed this correspondent, that a retired vice principle of FG College for Women, Professor Samina Bukhari, is working as registrar while another retired officer from Punjab government’s education department, Humayun Iqbal has been appointed as additional registrar by the university on a contract basis. Similarly, Mian Khurram Shahzad, who is originally an employee of the National University of Modern Languages, is serving in the FJWU as Quality Enhancement Cell director on a deputation. HEC’s retired employee Ghulam Mujtaba Kiyani has been hired by the varsity management as its Planning & Development director. The post of treasurer is lying vacant since the last few years. The FJWU Amended Act 2012 states that “the registrar, controller and treasurer should be a full-time officer appointed by the chancellor”.

Furthermore, the sources said that yniversity management also did not hold any selection board meeting on a regular basis, which also caused delay in promotions of the existing academic staff. When asked about non-holding of selection board meeting, Dr Samina Qadir did not give any satisfactory answer.

Published in Daily Times, September 23^rd 2018.