PESHAWAR: Several influential employees in the administration of Hazara University, Mansehra have managed to transfer their services to the newly established Abbottabad University of Science and Technology at the cost of their previous university’ interest, according to sources.

The Abbottabad University of Science and Technology (AUST) was a campus of Hazara University in Havelian which was turned into a full-fledged university by the provincial government a few months ago. It was notified as university on May 16 by the secretariat of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

Sources said that although transfer of employees from one university to another was illegal, yet several employees of Hazara University got transferred to AUST reportedly in back dates.

Asked why the employees preferred the new university over their old one, sources said that apparently, the transferred employees were eyeing the ‘lucrative activities’ to be carried out for the development of the university including construction, appointments and procurements, etc.

Several employees of HU have been transferred to Abbottabad varsity

In May, the number of total employees serving at AUST was 177 but it rose to 191 in June, sources said, adding the additional employees reportedly joined AUST in back dates in connivance with the then university administration.

AUST project director Abdul Ghafoor Baig, when contacted, said that a list of 191 employees was given to him when he resumed the responsibility of project director. He expressed ignorance about transfer of employees in back dates.

Sources said that that two officers including a deputy director, who also had the charge of director, and an assistant director, working in research and planning section of Hazar University, had also been transferred to AUST. “Why both senior officials were transferred to the new university,” an official at Hazara University questioned.

Later, the administration of Hazara University appointed a teacher from college sector as director planning and research section, who was brought to the university on deputation, sources said. “What the logic is behind appointing a teacher as director planning and research and transferring its own senior officials to AUST,” they asked.

Sources said that an assistant director at the museum of Hazara University was also transferred to AUST while a superintendent was given the charge of assistant director museum.

Habib Ahmed, the acting vice-chancellor of Hazara University, told Dawn that he resumed the acting charge of the university on July 3 and rejected the impression that employees were transferred to AUST after it was declared a university. “It is not possible to transfer employees in back dates,” he said.

Mr Ahmed said that since resuming the charge of acting vice-chancellor, he had received several applications of employees to transfer them to AUST. “I have categorically asked such employees that it was mandate of the syndicate to decide their transfer to AUST,” he said.

The post of vice-chancellor of Hazara University has been vacant since February 2014 and the entire transition of employees and assets to AUST took place in the absence of a permanent vice-chancellor.

Talking to Dawn, several academicians and administrative staff of Hazara University criticised the provincial government for its failure to appoint a permanent vice-chancellor of the university.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2015

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