LAHORE, Sept 3: The vice chancellors of different universities continue to use the Punjab governor/chancellor’s powers while granting look-after charge of deans of faculties on their own.

Appointment of a dean on a regular, acting or look-after basis is a prerogative of the chancellor.

The Punjab University vice chancellor has given look-after charge of five faculties’ deans to varsity teachers, while the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) VC granted look-after charge of dean Faculty of Life Sciences Business Management (FLSBM) to a senior varsity teacher.

Punjab Higher Education Special Secretary Suhail Shahzad said the vice chancellors did not have powers to grant even look-after charge of deans to university teachers.

Punjab Governor Secretariat Deputy Secretary Afzaal Ahmad told Dawn that a few days ago there was no justification that the vice chancellors themselves started giving look-after charge of offices of deans to university teachers. Upon receiving information, he said, the Governor’s Secretariat sent notices to such vice chancellors asking them either to get the orders regularised or strike them down.

“The VCs should initiate process for the appointment of deans well before time rather than blaming the Governor’s Secretariat for delay in making appointments,” he said.

UVAS Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha had directed Dr Nasim Ahmad to look after the duties of the dean FLSBM in addition to his own duties on Aug 15.

Punjab University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran had granted look-after charge of five faculties’ deans to teachers under Clause 2 of Statute 2 of the Schedule to the University of the Punjab Act 1973 on June 13 last as an interim arrangement with immediate effect.

The VC had granted look-after charge of the Faculty of Life Sciences dean to Dr Khan Rass Masood, professor of botany, who is also holding the charge of the PU registrar. Prof Dr Mumtaz Akhtar was given the look-after charge of dean Faculty of Education, Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Chawla was ordered to look after the charge of dean Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Dr Ismatullah Zahid was asked to look after the charge of dean Faculty of Oriental Learning and Prof Dr Mobasher Ahmad Butt was ordered to look after the charge of dean Faculty of Pharmacy.

Earlier, the charge of these five faculties was held by Prof Dr Liaquat Ali who is currently holding the charge of faculties of commerce, law and pharmacy. He is also varsity’s controller of examinations.

The Clause 2 of Statute 2 of the Schedule to the University of the Punjab Act 1973 says: “The Dean of each faculty shall be appointed by the Chancellor from amongst the three senior most professors in the Faculty for a period of three years and shall be eligible for re-appointment.”

The Punjab Higher Education Department on Aug 15 notified that the governor/chancellor had accorded ex-post facto approval to the appointment of Prof Dr Liaquat Ali as acting dean of Faculty of Pharmacy, replacing Prof Dr Mobasher Ahmad Butt, till the appointment of a regular dean of the Faculty or the date of completion of three years as such whichever is earlier in terms of Para 2(2) of the First Statutes appended as Schedule to the PU Act 1973.

The department also notified that the governor had appointed Prof Dr Tanveer Akhtar of Department of Zoology as dean faculty of Life Sciences till her retirement from service on attaining the age of superannuation on April 15, 2014.

Sources said Prof Dr Khan Rass Masood was on top of the seniority list of professors in the Faculty of Life Sciences. He had even volunteered to step down from the office of the PU Registrar, if selected as dean Faculty of Life Sciences – as the higher education department had objected that he was already working as registrar as well as Botany department chairman.

They said Prof Masood had also sought permission from the VC and formally communicated to the Punjab Higher Education Department on July 15.

Punjab Higher Education Department Special Secretary Suhail Shahzad said two cases of appointment of deans of pharmacy and education were pending with the department. As regards the appointment of dean of Faculty of Education that was pending with the department, Mr Shahzad said there was an issue of marks between two contenders – Prof Dr Mahr Saeed Akhtar and Prof Dr Mumtaz Akhtar. “The governor had communicated a long list of observations and the department had shared those observations with the PU administration. The PU has replied on the subject and the matter is yet to be re-submitted with the governor,” Mr Shahzad said.

UVAS VC Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha said he had granted look-after charge of FLSBM dean to Prof Dr Nasim Ahmad to run varsity’s day-to-day affairs. He said the Governor’s Secretariat was taking too much time in appointing a dean.

The PU VC did not respond despite repeated attempts by this reporter.

The PRO told Dawn that the VC had the powers to give look-after charge of deans of respective faculties to university teachers. He also claimed that according to a Supreme Court’s judgment, the officials holding look-after charge of a post could perform the duties of the said post.