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| September 29, 2005 | Thursday | Sha'aban 24, 1426 |
QAU admin’s authority challenged
ISLAMABAD, Sept 28: The Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench has sought comments from Quaid-i-Azam University administration on a petition challenging the authority of the acting vice-chancellor of the university.
The court has asked the university’s deputy registrar to submit parawise comments within one month on a petition filed by the president of QAU Employees Welfare Association, Malik Abdul Ghafoor, challenging a number of actions taken by Dr Khawaja Azam Ali who, at present, is looking after the office of the vice-chancellor.
President Gen Pervez Musharraf in his capacity as the chancellor of the university, through an order on May 25, 2005, had allowed Prof (Dr) Khawaja Azam Ali, senior dean, to look after the office of the vice-chancellor till the appointment of a regular vice-chancellor.
The petitioner argued that the present administration, which was working on stopgap basis, could not call the syndicate meeting, the highest decision-making body of the university, to get approved its decisions.
The petitioner had questioned the vice-chancellor’s directives under which a meeting of the selection board/departmental promotional committee was held.
“The selection board’s meeting was an attempt to select people without any lawful authority in violation of merit policy”, the petitioner contended, fearing that “the selection would be purely on the basis of nepotism and favouritism”.
Presently, all the administrative posts at the QAU — vice chancellor, registrar, assistant registrar, controller examination, transport officer — are being looked after on temporary basis.
When contacted, Prof Nazir, official spokesperson for the university, defended the acting VC’s actions saying “each and every action taken by the present administration is according to rules and regulations”.
He denied that they had received any notice from the court concerning the petition yet.
Responding to a question, he said Dr Ali as vice chancellor was exercising all powers under the University Act.
The syndicate has a diversified representation, including a representative from the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and no body had questioned holding of its meeting, he added.
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