ISLAMABAD: Perhaps the rules did not matter for the country’s top academic institution — Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) as despite clear directions from its supreme bodies known as the Syndicate and the Selection Board (SB), the post of “Professor” is intended to be filled without taking into account the fundamental rules.
According to information available with Daily Times, a post of professor in the Department of Earth Sciences (DES)/ Geophysics was advertised first time in the national press on November 25, 2014 wherein an Associate Professor in the same department, Dr. Mona Liza, was shortlisted against the post.
As per prescribed rules approved by the competent bodies — the SB and the Syndicate, the process of the selection of the professor is comprises stepwise as first of all the scrutiny of candidates, foreign review of applicant research and teaching credentials. The Selection Board’s final step is approval from the Syndicate.
The available information reveals that Dr.Liza was not eligible for the post as per criteria given by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Earlier, when this malafide practice was heighted by Daily Times, the administration of the QAU was compelled to withdraw the decision on the directions of university’s SB held in October.
The sources in the QAU revealed that after several scrutiny meetings (almost six of them) competent authorities by-passed the scrutiny committee members and the case of Dr.Liza was moved towards the next step of foreign review, thus violating the basic rules.
The information suggests that her (Dr.Liza’s) work was very weak as her papers were published mostly in poor national journals as many of them (published papers) are part of the ‘W’ category.
The QAU administration did not take into account the rules while getting a foreign review for the said candidate. The letters sent by foreign reviewers, the copy of which is by this scribe, disclosed that Dr.Liza was already well-known by the reviewers.
Whereas the rules direct otherwise as per law the reviewers should be blind by the candidate/applicant and should have no link with the applicant in any shape.
“I know Dr.Mona Liza professionally having trips to Pakistan”, reads a letter written by a foreign reviewer Andrew Meigs, Professor at College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric sciences ,Oregon State University
“I have known Dr.Mona Liza for several years”, reads a letter by another foreign reviewer, Robert S Yeats, Professor at the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric sciences, Oregon State University
After the foreign reports the SB case was sent to the Syndicate for the final decision. The Syndicate in its 167th meeting held in September, 2016 sent back this case again to the Selection Board for a clear decision.
As per details, the said selection board meeting commenced on three separate dates – October 8, 9, 2016 and October 25, 2016 and a decision of re-advertisement was finalised.
According to the QAU byelaws the minutes of the selection board meeting should be placed before the syndicate for approval. In the case of Dr.Liza, the minutes of the SB should have been finalised after October 25, 2016 and then placed before the Syndicate for approval.
The post of the said Professor was re-advertised on October 13, 2016, without waiting for the minutes of the selection board and the approval from the Syndicate which is essential as per prescribed law.
Very interestingly the said post was advertised even when the selection board was still in process which is also a violation of the rules.
According to the advertisement only 21 days were given to facilitate the desiring candidate for the post while usually at least two months are given to the desiring candidates for such a post.
Moreover, to securitinise the dossier of the applicant, the administration formed the committee which is against the approved rules and regulation. As per rules the head of committee should be the Dean of the concerned faculty and two senior most faculty members of the concern department.
Whereas in the said case, the committee was formed and headed by the Vice Chancellor (VC) Javed Ashraf and one handpicked faculty member Dr.Raheel.
Furthermore, it seems that the QAU administration is committed to select Dr.Liza at any cost. The information available reveals that she attached the foreign reports which were written in 2015.
The copies of the reports are with this correspondent according to which the last date to apply was October, 2016.
It looks that different laws exist in the QAU for different people. The promotions of Dr. Jaspal and Dr. Nazir as a Professor in the SPIR department were turned down by the Syndicate over such ineligibilities.
Another couple of faculty members Dr.Waheed Chauhdry and Dr.Asif Ali were also demoted over the lack of requirement criteria.
The QAU spokesperson, Dr.Illhan Naiz, admitted the prescribed rule’s violations in the said case. He, however, said that it was done on the directions of the Selection Board, adding that it was the propagative of the SB.
“May the board did not want to make unnecessary delay in the case”, Naiz added.
He also confirmed that the SB decided to use the old reports as that were “very good” and fulfilling the “desired criteria” for the post of “Professor”.