Daily Times

Higher Education Commission (HEC) is planning to hold a meeting of public and private universities of Pakistan in the coming week to discuss the situation arising from the arrest of Punjab University and Sargodha University former vice chancellors and senior professors on charges of corruption and illegal appointments by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

A high official of HEC, while talking exclusively to Daily Times, said that the Academic Staff Association of the country has conveyed its concerns to HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri on producing Dr Mujahid Kamran and other professors before the court in handcuffs.

The high official also said that government will be informed about the concerns of the professors after the meeting of the VC is going to be held next week.

Meanwhile, all the teacher organisations are planning to form a joint strategy against the humiliation of former VCs and professors by NAB and law enforcement agencies. They said that institutes investigate not humiliate.

All Pakistan Academic Association President Dr Mahboob Hussain said that they will not accept any unfair attitude towards the teachers. He also said that NAB officials had disrespectfully arrested the professors and it would not be acceptable to the teaching community to humiliate them.

He said they would soon launch a protest drive against the unlawful arrest of the professors.

All Pakistan Professors & Lecturers Association President Hafiz Abdul Khaliq Nadeem said that the teachers’ community will not accept disrespectful act of handcuffing the teachers. They will not accept the media trial of senior teachers.

He was of the opinion that the VC cannot take any decision without the approval of syndicate of the university. He said that they will register a protest tomorrow (Monday), along with the Federation of All Pakistan Universities.

All Pakistan Private Schools Federation President Kashif Mirza said that teachers will wear black bands to protest against the incident of disrespect and insult of teachers by NAB personnel.

Earlier, the chief justice of Pakistan had taken suo motu notice of PU former VC Dr Mujahid Kamran being led to the court in handcuffs.

The 70-year-old former VC was produced before Lahore’s accountability by NAB officials after being arrested on Thursday.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, while taking notice, expressed his anger and directed NAB to explain why he was handcuffed.

NAB Chairperson Justice (r) Javed Iqbal has also taken notice of the incident and directed the bureau’s Lahore chief to investigate the matter and take action against the people involved.

Published in Daily Times, October 14^th 2018.