Daily Times

KARACHI: The Federal Urdu University called a senate meeting, headed by acting voice chancellor to discuss budget allocations for next year and resolve the matters of promotions of non-teaching staff and their permanent status on Thursday but the meeting became controversial as a number of senior varsity’s senate members objected on the presence of acting Vice Chancellor.

Most of the members adopted the stance that acting VC of Urdu University has no right to further hold its office more because University of Karachi (UoK) and Sindh High Court (SHC) has declared his PhD degree fake and plagiarized and cancellation orders of his degree are to be notified by UoK soon. However, Deputy Chairman of Urdu University’s senate, Javid Ashraf assured the members that as soon as the UoK issues notification of cancellation, acting VC would be removed from the post immediately.

Those objectors who were among the senate members included representative of Federal Education Ministry, Rafique Tahir, special representative of Higher Education Comiission of Pakistan, Dr Raza Bhatti, and representative of teachers association of the varsity, Dr Iftikhar Tahiri. “Due to the stay orders issued on the senate meeting by Islamabad High Court on 15 June 2017 and after the cancellation of the PhD degree of acting VC by Sindh high Court, acting VC, Sulaiman D Muhammad couldn’t lead the senate meeting”, they submitted the objection.

A number of the senate members also demanded resignation from the acting VC, Sulaiman D Muhammad in light of UoK’s Senate decision and court orders of cancellation of his plagiarized degree. “If acting VC refuses to go along with, he would be removed from the post the through the senate body of the varsity”, they also showed anger over acting VC.

It was also decided in the senate meeting, that the selection board would be considered to hold the matters of promotion of non teaching staff, headed by a member of the senate, Abdul Qadir Rajput. It is mentioning here that acting administration of the varsity has called a meeting of the varsity’s senate body, held on 15 Jun 2017, to promote some blue eyed employees and amend the Urdu University constitution.

However, two senior faculty members from Islamabad campus of Urdu University challenged agenda of the promotions and amendments in the local court while the court has issued stay order on the plea. After these developments two senior members, Dr Tahir Masood and Dr Tehseen Firaqi from UoK have refused to attend the senate meeting of Urdu University. However, nothing positive has come out in the senate meeting except all senate members have criticized each other despite the local court has issued a stay order on conducting senate meeting for such progress.

It is worthwhile mentioning here that, the Standing Committee on Finance and the Standing Committee on Education have recommended to the Federal Ministry of Education and the Presidency of Pakistan through the parliament and Senate to remove Dr Sulaiman D Muhammad from Urdu University.