PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa higher education and finance departments have raised questions about the appointment of the son of the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan’s vice chancellor to the varsity’s sociology department as lecturer as well as his selection for an oversees scholarship.

“VC Dr Ihsan Ali should have informed the syndicate members of the university before the syndicate meeting that the approval of appointment of his son, Nasir Ali, was on the agenda,” one of the syndicate members told Dawn.

He claimed none of the syndicate members didn’t know before the meeting that the approval of the appointment of the VC’s son was on agenda.

The member said the university’s selection board had already approved the name of Nasir Ali for the sociology department lectureship (BPS-18) on regular basis as well as the Bacha Khan Chair Overseas Scholarship for PhD in the subject.

Some other syndicate members said both the selection board and syndicate were headed by the vice chancellor, so favouritism couldn’t be ruled out when either his (vice chancellor’s) son or close relatives appeared before the selection board or approval of their names by the board was considered by the syndicate for consent.

“I opposed the appointments of the relatives of VCs during the past meetings as they communicated the matter to syndicate members, including me,” a university syndicate member told Dawn on condition of anonymity.

Sources said the higher education department had already sent its dissent about the manner in which the vice chancellor’s son was appointed a lecturer to the university.

They said the finance department was also unhappy at the matter and would soon convey its dissent in writing to the university.

“My sources in the university informed me about the appointment of the VC’s son two days after the syndicate meeting,” another syndicate member said.

A senior lecturer of the Islamia College University told Dawn that the vice chancellors should dissociate themselves from the entire recruitment process whenever their children or close relatives applied for the job in their respective universities.

A government university vice chancellor said his daughter and son recently completed post-graduation education but he was unable to provide job to them in his university.

“Everyone will consider it to be favouritism if I appoint them (to my university),” he said.

When contacted, AWKUM Registrar Professor Sher Alam Khan denied favouritism in the appointment of the vice chancellor’s son to the university and award of scholarship to him.

He said the position was properly advertised in newspapers.

“Only six candidates applied for the lecturer’s post and two of them were shortlisted. The selection board recommended Nasir Ali, son of the VC, for the post in light of his excellent academic record,” he said.

The registrar said the vice chancellor left the meeting before his son appeared before the selection board and that the meeting was chaired by the senior most member of the board afterwards.

He said similarly, the vice chancellor left the syndicate meeting before the agenda item of his son’s appointment was discussed.

Asked why the vice chancellor didn’t inform syndicate members about approval of his son’s appointment before the meeting, the registrar said had the vice chancellor announced the item of his son’s appointment beforehand, the syndicate members would have been under the impression that he (vice chancellor) wanted favours for his son and therefore, he opted to keep it secret.

Published in Dawn March 22nd , 2015

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