ISLAMABAD: The supreme body of the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) has upheld its decision of sending three top officials of the university on forced leave, Daily Times has learnt.
According to details, a day-long meeting of the Syndicate was held in a local hotel, under the chairmanship of the Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Ashraf, to discuss 18 agenda items.
Sources said that the Syndicate finalised the issue of sending Registrar Dr Shafiqur Rehman, Acting Registrar Sabir Khan and Controller Examination Sardar Baber on forced leave.
These officials were sent on forced leave by the syndicate in its previous meeting under various allegations.
Dr Rehman was found guilty by an inquiry committee chaired by Wajid Rana.
Sources said that Sabir Khan was accused of failing to improve his performance after assuming office. He was also accused of making “biased decisions” in the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC).
Controller Examination Sardar Baber was sent on leave for his involvement in a sexual harassment case. The sources said that the four year old case was reopened to provide a pretext for sending Baber on leave.
The Syndicate also constituted a three-member committee to investigate complaints against Department of Earth Sciences (DES) Chairperson Dr Mona Liza.
The committee will be headed by Barrister Zaffarullah. Other members are: Maj (r) Tahir Iqbal, Dr Waqar Shah and Dr Tassaver Hayat. A representative of the Federal Ministry of Education will also be part of the committee. He will be nominated by the ministry secretary.
According to sources, faculty members of the department filed complaints against Dr Mona Liza. They leveled various allegations against her, including inefficiency and favouritism. The complainants demanded her replacement as chairperson.
Vice Chancellor Dr Ashraf said that he was surprised that inefficient officials were complaining against a highly-qualified official. “Some of the complainants have been unable to complete their PhDs for the past many years,” he said.
Another separate agenda item regarding allegations against Assistant Registrar Admission Hamayun was discussed by the apex body. The Syndicate referred the case to the Efficiency and Discipline (E&D) branch for further investigation. As per rules, the E&D is the most powerful entity in the university. It has the power to remove any official if allegations are proved against him or her.
According to sources, Hamayun has been accused of granting admission to a student in the Computer Sciences Department on a seat that is usually reserved for the General Headquarters (GHQ) nominee.
“Later, he told the administration that the student had been given admission on the instructions of the GHQ,” sources said.
Sources said that after the issue came to light, the Syndicate and university administration was informed that the student had been granted admission in violation of rules.
The Syndicate also discussed the Yasinullah case at the meeting. Yasinullah allegedly fired shots on a university official, Bakhat Khan, during a clash. The Syndicate, however, forwarded the case for legal opinion as the incident had taken place outside the university premises.