Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: After a couple of faculty demotions, another blue-eyed Associate Professor at the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) was scrutinized while crossing the legal lines, revealed reliable sources.

According to documents obtained by Daily Times, a vacant post of Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences (DES) of the QAU was advertised in the national press on November 25, 2014 and Mona Liza was shortlisted against the post and had been presented to the scrutiny committee, even though she did not meet the criteria for the post.

According to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) prescribed requirement for the appointment of a professor in any higher education university or Degree Awarding Institute (DAI), the desiring candidate must have a PhD degree from an HEC recognised institution in the relevant field as well as 15 years teaching/research experience (with at least eight years post-PhD level experience in an HEC recognised university or post-graduate institution or professional experience in the relevant field in a national or international organisation.

Or he/she should have a 10-year post-PhD teaching/research experience at a recognised university or a post- graduate institution or professional experience in the relevant field in a national or international organisation.

Besides the said qualifications and working experience, the candidate should have 15 research publications including at least five publications in the last five years, in HEC’s recognized journals.

The documents available stated that Liza did not fulfil the second requirement. A two-member Scrutiny Committee comprising the Chairman Department of Computer Sciences, Muhammad Afzal Bhatti and the Chairman of the DES, Gulraiz Akhtar, was constituted in March, 2015 for the selection of the professor.

A couple of the faculty was demoted on the same cause in a syndicate meeting of the QAU held on September 2, 2016.

The documentary evidences reveal that since the advertisement of the post (Professor) in August 2015, seven departmental scrutiny committees have been formed and deferred without any result.

An official who was highly informed with the entire episode and wished not to be named, revealed that all these were delaying tactics used by Vice Chancellor Javed Ashraf because he (VC) desired to appoint Liza against
the slot.

Soon after a fresh scrutiny committee in chair with Zakaullah, the Dean faculty of Natural Sciences’ reconstitution on July 2015, Mona Liza filed a request in the DES for seeking relaxation in her less published papers. In the result of her filed request a new cycle of forming and postponing of the scrutiny committees started once again.

Finally a committee on August 17, 2015 finalised the name of Mona Liza from a couple of shortlisted candidates. They are Liza and Shazia Asim, Assistant professor at the DES of the QAU.

According to the rules, the foreign experts should be anonymous to whom the dossier of any lecturer, assistant professor or assistant professor are being sent for their approval of the candidate in the next grade/designation.

Surprisingly, the Deputy Registrar of the QAU sent a list of foreign experts for Liza’s approval as professor to chairman DES and directed him to give his approval. However, the chairman refused to do so.

The Mona Liza case was also rejected in the QAU syndicate meeting held on September 2, 2016. Despite all legal objections the case is set for presentation at the selection board meeting fixed on October 8.

The HEC Chairperson, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, said that the person who does not possess the required criteria would not be allowed to get appointment or promotion in the higher education sector. “The nominee of the HEC will participate in the meeting of the selection board and will contribute as per legal commitments,” Dr.Ahmed mentioned.

The VC Ashraf refused to admit the facts and said that “the opponent elements were rumouring against him while I have did as per law.”