Daily Times

Passed in 2010, the 18th amendment in the constitution of Pakistan delegated the education sector to the legislative and executive jurisdiction of provinces. Presumably, provincial autonomy and devolution of education are premium gifts of the 18th amendment, but it has its pros, cons and colossal implications, especially in the domain of higher education. Welcome to the campus life in Pakistan!

After the implementation of the 18th amendment in the constitution of Pakistan, varsities in Pakistan have been enormously politicised. Over and again, provincial governments poke their noses into the different affairs of varsities. Politicians visit varsities to extract favours from vice-chancellors (VCs). This is called “safarish” or “parchi system” in simple language.

I am a fulltime faculty member at the public-sector varsity in Pakistan and here, I would like to share my own experiences and considerations. Here, I will explain the major ramifications of politicisation of varsities in Pakistan. I do not have a fairytale about Pakistani varsities at all.

Firstly, the 18th amendment was passed in 2010 and it de jure empowered Chief Ministers (CM) to select the VCs of public-sector varsities in all Provinces of Pakistan.

I am a fulltime faculty member at the public-sector varsity in Pakistan and here, I would like to share my own experiences and considerations. Since then, the post of VC has been politicised and VCs are now selected and appointed based on either political loyalty or bribery or both. As a result, appointments of VCs are either delayed or provincial governments sometimes appoint an incapable person VC illegally.

There are dozens of cases of illegal appointments of VCs pending in courts of Pakistan. Another fact is that if an appointed VC wants to enjoy another term, then he/she will have to please, obey and oblige the ruling political leadership sitting in the provincial assembly in particular. Consequently, CMs, MPAs, MNAs, and the provincial cabinet ministers commonly meddle into the varsity professional affairs.

This is the very cause of politicisation of varsities in Pakistan. Nowadays, varsities in Pakistan mostly entertain fair or unfair dictations of the ruling local politicians. Illegal appointments and promotions of faculty members in Pakistani varsities are obvious aftermaths of this politicisation. Also, a very outlandish emerging reality is that political “safarish” or “parchi” is needed even for legal appointments or promotions. Maybe, VCs of Pakistani varsities do not want to oblige anyone for nothing in recent times. The popular rate of bribery of the seat of VC in Punjab is between 10 and 12 crores approximately. This is simply called, “waddi” in Punjabi.

On this muddy road of “safarish” culture in academics in varsities, knowledge and research are left far behind

Secondly, there is frequent interference of politicians of the provincial government in the affairs of varsities. “Safarish” and “parchi” culture are on a high rise in Pakistani varsities. This “safarish” culture is frequently observed during the admission process, advertisement of posts, the appointment of faculty members, promotion of faculty members, the appointment of administrative staff, the appointment of lower grade employees, allotment of varsity residences as well as grades and degrees of students.

I simplify more for my readers. If you want to become a peon or a gardener at varsity, then a “safarish” or “parchi” from an MNA or MPA will be very helpful. Similarly, if you are an associate professor and eligible for the post of professor, even then you will need some strong political link to materialise your dream of a professorship at the varsity because there is enough competition on all faculty posts.

In the present scenario of competition, politically influential faculty members first get advertised a seat through “safarish” and are given priority. Faculty members having influential political links are provided with sufficient opportunities for career development. They enjoy extra benefits like administrative posts at the campus, foreign training, scholarships and faculty residences at the campus, etc. Similarly, students are also enrolled and awarded degrees of MPhil and PhD very easily and conveniently through political “safarish” in Pakistani varsities.

Corruption in academics is another relevant custom of political “safarish” mafia in the varsities in Pakistan. This “safarish” culture in academics is just like a chain reaction having a trickle-down effect. The CM dictates some “safarish” to VC, VC it dictates to Dean or chairperson, Dean dictates it to departmental chairpersons and finally, departmental chairpersons will dictate to the relevant faculty member to give some extra favour in grades or degrees to a particular student. On this muddy road of “safarish” culture in academics in varsities, knowledge and research are left far behind and become inconsequential entirely. As a result, varsities in Pakistan are not producing scientists and we are going nowhere.

Thirdly, politicised autonomous public-sector varsities working under the umbrella of provincial governments have emerged as a mafia of making money and printing degrees at wholesale scale. Private-Public Partnership (PPP) based sub-campuses of different public-sector varsities in different cities is another obvious and recent fact. The PPP-based campuses have accelerated the loot sale of degrees. It’s a business of billions and owners of PPP-based sub-campuses of varsities also exploit political links sitting in the provincial assembly for patronage or support, maybe in return of billions as bribery. Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) recently blacklisted many illegal sub-campuses of varsities in different cities of Pakistan.

Fourthly, varsities in Pakistan are autonomous bodies now and syndicate or senate are supreme decision-making forums in varsities in Pakistan. Composition of syndicate and senate is also highly political and veritably dominated by the ruling political elite. This is also a well-founded reason behind the politicisation of the varsities. Faculty members also try getting some due or undue favour or support from syndicate or senate members for either appointment or promotion.

In the end, I want to suggest some quick fixes to the enfeebled higher education sector in Pakistan. Firstly, the higher education sector should be disembarrassed from political claws in provinces. Provincial governments should change the selection authority of VCs and VCs should be selected through Public Service Commissions in all four provinces of Pakistan. Secondly, VCs should beat down the “safarish” and “parchi” mafia active at the campus and promote decorous studious traditions. Thirdly, provincial governments should minify the number of politicians in syndicate or senate bodies and varsities should be decontaminated from all kind of adventitious political clouts. Let us make our varsities great again.

The writer is a lecturer at the Department of Sociology, Government College Varsity, Faisalabad