Daily Times

The top ranked educational institution of the federal capital, Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), is neglecting the government recruitment rules to fill its vacant positions of different cadres, Daily Times has learnt reliably.

The university administration advertised several teaching and non-teaching positions recently in the national press but never bothered about the fundamental criteria required for the slots. Among the teaching cadre, the varsity announced vacancies for professor, associate professor, assistant professor, and lecturer in different departments. While non-teaching slot included deputy controller, assistant registrar, and assistant controller of examinations.

For the non-teaching posts, the university hired Pakistan Testing Service (PTS), an external agency for job recruitment services, to fulfill the recruitment process.

According to the information available, the federal government had abolished the role of private testing services in May 2020 in different government departments and autonomous bodies. Moreover, no procurement process has been followed for acquiring the services of the said testing agency, which is a clear violation of PEPRA rules.

The syndicate is the supreme decision making body of the QAU as per its rules and no such decision could be taken without approval of this body. However, sources revealed no specific approval of syndicate for hiring of PTS has been granted which is also a serious question on the compliance of the varsity rules.

An official of QAU while wishing anonymity alleged that the agency has been hired to manipulate the recruitment procedure in favour of blue-eyed people. The test result of the post of MBA coordinator is a glaring example in the past which went without action, he claimed.

He said that incumbent VC Dr Muhammad Ali, when assumed charge in 2018, claimed that all pending issues of the varsity will be resolved but no considerable progress has been made so far. “He did nothing to enhance university standards apart from lobbying and nepotism from different academic and non-academic groups in the varsity,” he alleged.

The official claimed that different employees’ bodies which have been actively raising voices against every malafide practice in the tenure of previous VC Dr Javed Ashraf are now keeping mum. “The reason is too simple that they have been bestowed in different ways: some of them have been appointed against senior positions in the varsity while others have been offered other worthwhile deals,” he claimed.

While highlighting various issues of the QAU which remain unresolved since many decades, the official said that illegal encroachment of land, lawlessness, fee increase, ever-decreasing education quality standards and hostel issues still persist.

While talking to Daily Times, VC Dr Ali maintained that not even a single illegal practice has been done in his tenure. He claimed that he tried his best to boost the academic standards of the varsity. “I have vast administrative experience and how it is possible that I would indulge in any malafide activity,” he said, adding that he didn’t join the varsity for corruption or making money but to serve the institution.