April 2, 2003	Wednesday	Muharram 29, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, April 1: The Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) is yet to decided on Federal Universities Ordinance 2002, promulgated by President General Pervez Musharraf days before the civil government was sworn in, reliable sources told Dawn.

The ordinance was promulgated by President Musharraf on November 13, 2002 whereby seven universities in Rawalpindi and Islamabad were declared autonomous both administratively and financially.

The universities to which the ordinance applied include Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad; National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad; Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad; Bahria University, Islamabad; Air University Islamabad; Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology, Rawalpindi, and National University of Science and Technology, Rawalpindi/Islamabad.

When contacted, the officials concerned in the Higher Education Commission said the commission had circulated the ordinance to these universities for implementation.

However, it depends on the respective universities that how much time they would take before the full enforcement of the ordinance which, so far, had met severe criticism by their faculty members.

The sources said the existing syndicate of the QAU, which was to be replaced by a nominated senate under the new ordinance, had been pressurising the vice-chancellor to withdraw the university’s name from the list.

With the restoration of democracy in the country, teachers’ associations of these universities had staged protest demonstrations in front of the Parliament House, asking the government to withdraw what they termed “uncalled for encroachment on public sector universities”.

The sources said the universities were doing well and they just needed some more funding by the government. Under the new set up, the federal government had absolved itself from the financial commitment and the whole burden would be shifted to students in the form of increase in the fee structure, they added.

The sources said, from whatsoever angle one looked at the new law, it seemed unjustified, irrational and useless exercise and in the end the government would be forced to remove the new law from the statute book.

The elected bodies of university teachers, through out the country, had rejected the recommendations of the task force on higher education wherein the restructuring of the public sector universities was suggested when they first came to lime light.

The education planners under the then military government remained indifferent to teachers’ protest and came up with the said ordinance.

Under the new administrative set up, these universities will be run through a senate, syndicate and academic council in descending order. The senate will be entrusted with sweeping powers.