PESHAWAR: The administration of Agricultural University, Peshawar has locked horns with the chief patron of Dairy Science Park over his activities to promote use of modern technology for development of livestock.

The university has issued a charge-sheet against the chief patron of Dairy Science Park, Prof Mohammad Subhan Qureshi.

Sources said that recently a 50-member delegation comprising academia and businessmen, and headed by Special Assistant to Chief Minister Arif Yousaf, participated in a two-day international conference and industrial exhibition on Dairy Science Park at Selcuk University in Konya, Turkey that further complicated the issue.

Prof Qureshi is also a former dean of the faculty of animal husbandry and veterinary sciences. The AUP registrar of has served him with a charge-sheet for misappropriation of Rs2.38 million unearthed in February, 2014 in the DTC/dairy farm milk coupons when he was holding the post of dean, and for appointment of a person as veterinary supervisor in violation of SOPs. The charge-sheet said that owing to his implicit assent, the said official continued to perform duty as DTC.

University admin issues charge-sheet against Prof Qureshi

However, Prof Qureshi said that provincial government acknowledged importance of dairy sector in economic development and agreed with a proposal to set up a taskforce for Dairy Science Park.

Another letter, written by a director at Vice-chancellor Secretariat of the university, though agreed with the contentions of Prof Qureshi regarding the mandate of the university or the faculty, yet said that approval of such matters from the relevant forums of the university like BOS, BOF, BASAR, AC and Syndicate was fundamental and mandatory.

The letter said that collaboration with any foreign agency, more so the ones based in the countries carrying a hostile posture towards Pakistan, was a sensitive matter and any such matter should have been initiated after getting special permission from the relevant authorities.

The vice-chancellor office has also objected to the use of DSP logo on official pad of the university and asked him to remove it. The latest letter from the university has asked all faculty members to dissociate themselves from DSP and submit compliance report as well as a comprehensive and para-wise reply to within three working days.

However, Prof Qureshi, in his response to the letters, said that DSP was not a private company and the university was withdrawing academic support from it as chief minister issued directives to form a taskforce for DSP.

He said that the director and Vice-chancellor Secretariat were bound to facilitate the office of vice-chancellor in improving efficiency and impact of the university by supporting productive academicians to play their due role in generating solutions to the issues faced by the government, farmers, industry and civil society. He said that DSP was excellent example of university-industry linkages in the framework of Higher Education Commission vision and was outcome of a hard work of faculty members, students, farmers, industry workers, entrepreneurs, government authorities, development organisations and civil society since 2011.

The DSP chief patron said that the initiative got international recognition for the university. He also advised the director to arrange a briefing for the vice-chancellor, Pro-VC and dean of FAHVS on the subject to review the achievements and formulate future plans.

Through another letter, Prof Qureshi has also demanded restoration of the data of DSP maintained since 2011 on the website of the university as it has been removed on verbal advice.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2017