June 22, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 06, 1428

ISLAMABAD, June 21: Educational institutions working under the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) are facing severe administrative and academic problems due to the alleged interference of an official of the foundation in the internal affairs of these schools and colleges, it is learnt.

Sources said the performance of OPF schools and colleges throughout the country had been greatly affected by the alleged mishandling of their affairs by OPF Director Education Brig (retired) Farogh Anjum.

The sources said Mr Farogh had been appointed on a purely civilian post about which he did not have any experience.

He was allegedly appointed on this post by the former OPF managing director, Khalid Lateef, on the basis of personal friendship. A number of officers far better in terms of education and experience were bypassed, the sources said.

Parents of students enrolled in the OPF schools and colleges have also levelled serious allegations against Brig Farogh, saying that due to his mishandling of affairs, institutions functioning under the OPF had been badly affected and their standard had declined.

It has been learnt that the OPF director education is involved in appointment of teaching staff of his choice in complete disregard of merit.

“If a principal or head of an OPF school shows little courage and opposes his illegal orders, she is subjected to very harsh treatment and harassment,” the sources said. Such teachers and their institutions are singled out and hurdles are created in their smooth functioning, they added.

“In official correspondence, baseless objections are raised against different summaries/official letters sent by these institutions to the director education for approval as a result of which routine work comes to a standstill,” according to the sources.

Students are the ultimate sufferers. The OPF has about 24 educational institutions in different cities throughout the country which are in a shambles due to such unprofessional handling, they said.

Apart from this, in many cities land has been purchased while in some others it has been donated by philanthropists for the construction of OPF schools, but no institution had been built despite growing demands from people of those respective areas.

Scant interest is taken in such progressive steps as a result of which the working of these institutions, instead of Šshowing any improvement, is on the wane.

It is pertinent to mention here that hundreds of army officers, both serving and retired, have been appointed on civilian posts in almost all ministries, departments and institutions after Gen Pervez Musharraf took over, sending a wave of concern among civilian employees.

Overseas Pakistanis Division Secretary Fazlur Rehman, when asked about the complaints, was oblivious of them. He, however, said he would investigate the issue.

He did not reply to a question about why a retired army officer had been appointed on a civilian post. “This question should be posed to those who appointed him,” he added.

Brig Farogh was repeatedly called at both his office and residence phones but he was not available for comments.

Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Foundation Ghulam Sarwar Khan, when contacted, also said he was not aware of the said allegations. He said Farogh Anjum had nothing to do with recruitment of teachers.

Whenever there is a vacant post, it is advertised and then selection is made by a recruitment committee on the basis of merit, he claimed.

About creating hurdles in the smooth running of these institutions, Mr Khan said he had not received any complaints so far. If there is any such complaint it should be forwarded to me, he added.

Replying to another question, the federal minister said tenders had been floated for the establishment of new schools — one each in Hangu, Sheikhupura and Rawalpindi. “We have received some rates but these are not acceptable,” he said, adding that as soon as suitable rates were received work would start.

When asked why a retired army officer had been appointed on a civilian post, the minister said the post had been advertised and Brig Farogh came on merit out of the applicants received in response to the advertisement.