GUJRAT: The 37th syndicate meeting of the University of Gujrat scheduled for Tuesday (today) has once again been postponed after the Higher Education Department directed the acting vice-chancellor and registrar to hold it off.

In its initial response to the HED, the UoG had declined to postpone or reschedule the meeting since 12 members of the syndicate had already confirmed their participation but had second thoughts a few hours later. Registrar Dr Tahir Aqeel confirmed the meeting had been postponed.Acting VC Professor Dr Faheem Malik had convened the meeting amidst cries of foul by some faculty and administrative staff as some controversies involving senior staff were said to be on the agenda.

In an email to the registrar on Monday, the HED additional secretary (academics) sought postponement since the agenda was not delivered to the department 10 days prior to the meeting. The registrar contended the agenda had been dispatched to the HED on April 13 through a known courier service and delivered in Lahore on April 15.

There has been no meeting of the statute body for the last 10 months as the 36th meeting of the syndicate was held on June 28, 2018. Then VC Dr Ziaul Qayyum had convened the 37th meeting on Oct 31 last when he was about to leave the UoG to join the Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad.

The HED had stopped Dr Qayyum from holding the meeting since five seats of the syndicate, including that of three lawmakers of Punjab Assembly and two eminent personalities had to be filled by then. Later, Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervez Elahi nominated three MPAs from Gujrat.

Two seats of syndicate reserved for women against the quota of eminent personalities are yet to be filled by the chancellor as the UoG had already recommended a panel of six women.

Reliable sources say inquiry reports against director media and publications, deputy manager of UoG printing press and some other senior faculty and administrative staff and a row between the varsity admin with director students service centre were expected to be discussed in the meeting.

Some senior UoG officials told this correspondent that they planned to stage a strong protest against the varsity administration upon the arrival of the syndicate members at the Hafiz Hayat campus.

They objected to the convening of the meeting at a time when a permanent VC was about to be posted in a few weeks time.“How come an interim VC convene the syndicate meeting to decide important matters,” questioned a senior official.

The officials cite a verdict of the Lahore High Court asking then acting VC of Punjab University Dr Mujahid Kaman to only look after day to day affairs instead of making long term decisions. However, a senior HED official said there was no legal bar on the acting VC to hold the syndicate meeting until some crucial issue on legal side appeared.

Registrar Dr Tahir Aqeel confirmed that the inquiry reports against some senior officers as well as the matter of SSC director and approval of at least three previous selection boards had also been on the long list of agenda for the syndicate meeting.

He said the acting VC was authorised to convene the syndicate meeting.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2019