MULTAN: The syndicate of Bahauddin Zakariya University is going to discuss exclusively the controversial issue of the establishment of the university’s sub-campus in Lahore on Monday (today).

The meeting will be held under one-point agenda, i.e., approval of the sub-campus. It is going to be held in clear violation of the court orders and the directions of the High Education Department (HED).

Sources claimed the HED had categorically informed the university administration that its representative in the syndicate would not participate in the meeting.

University move violation of HED, court directions

The HED, through letter on December 2013, had restrained all the public sector universities in the province to avoid entering agreement with any private investor party for opening sub-campuses anywhere in the province.

“Recently, the shady deal of the BZU for opening a sub-campus at Lahore in partnership with private investor without seeking NOC from the HED has highlighted the facts that the public sector universities are operating under a very loose regulatory before entering into such agreements to avoid commitment to certain contingent liabilities,” the letter had said while mentioning the BZU sub-campus issue.

In another letter on June 30, 2014 to BZU registrar, the HED section officer stated the chief minister had ordered an inquiry into the issue of university’s sub-campus in Lahore and no meeting of the committee, constituted by the syndicate in its meeting held on Sept 5, 2013, might be convened till finalisation of the inquiry.

In the response of the letter, the BZU registrar, through letter on July 5, 2014, stated that university was fully aware of the situation and not a single step had been taken in this regard.

The court of Muhammad Waseem Anjam, a civil judge in Lahore on September 3, 2014, had restrained the respondents, including university administration from including the subject of alleged granting of approval to BZU Lahore sub-campus in any of its forthcoming meetings of the syndicate while maintaining the status quo regarding the matter until next date of hearing (Sept 17).

A legal notice was also issued to the BZU administration by two persons who claimed that the university had entered into an agreement with them regarding the establishment of sub-campus on May 16, 2013, declaring one of them as its chairman. They said that they sold out 50 percent share to another person, the present CEO of the campus, on July 25, 2013; however, the university had started ignoring them while contacting the third person in all administrative and financial matters. They requested the university authorities not to pass any action or amend the agreement in favour of the third person and all the matters be settled with them in the future.

There are three different parties that are claiming the ownership of the campus and another one also claimed that the sub-campus was initiated by his company but later another party was engaged by fraudently changing the title of the company.

The sources claim involvement of a provincial minister who is using his influence for approval of the sub-campus after being bribed.

Dr Shaukat Malik, a BZU syndicate member, who was earlier opposing the campus by raising his voice against the irregularities, including not advertising for bidding of the sub-campus, is now supporting the deal and also made a visit of the sub-campus recently.

Sources alleged the case of professorship of Dr Malik is pending since long and he has reached a compromise with the university administration over his appointment as professor.

However, Dr Malik refused any underhand deal between him and the university administration, saying that he still stood by his point of view that the share of university should be increased substantially if the competent authority approved the establishment of campus according to the law.

Another member syndicate, Farkhanda Akhtar, said one member of the syndicate who was opposing the campus, had now become active to legalise it. She said she had opposed the approval of the agreement through a circulation due to the importance of the matter and now she would also oppose any act to legalise it as it had become controversial.

“If the matter is presented before the syndicate I would suggest to reject it but the chances of rejection were less as now the majority of members have been “convinced” that the campus should be approved,” she said.

BZU Registrar Malik Munir Hussain refused to comment while saying that he would not comment on the issue as the matter is sub-judice.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2014