RAHIM YAR KHAN: Despite the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) detecting over 4,500 illegal appointments made by 12 public sector universities in Punjab in the last 10 years, the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) apparently continues with the practice.

The agenda of the 75th syndicate meeting scheduled to be held on Saturday (today) reveals that the university advertised two posts of the deputy registrar, but appointed 11 candidates through a selection board following the initial recruitment procedure.

Similarly, following the internal recruitment procedure one post of deputy registrar was advertised, but 12 candidates appointed by the selection board.

In other instances, the IUB advertised five posts of assistant registrar, but appointed 20 candidates; three posts of associate professor of physics were advertised, but seven candidates appointed; for the computer science department, two posts of assistant professor advertised, but eight candidates appointed; and two posts advertised in the Islamic studies department, but eight candidates were appointed by the board.

A senior IUB professor, requesting anonymity, told this correspondent that the higher-ups did not bother about rules and regulation for appointments because of which the higher education department had sent its strong observations and reservations over the last syndicate meeting held on July 4, 2020.

The professor further said that the IUB vice chancellor made appointments by allegedly influencing the selection board and using emergency powers granted to him under Section 15(3) of the university statute. The higher authorities also go these decisions approved through a majority vote from the university members on the syndicate.

Varsity has also hired people sacked by RYK’s Khawaja Fareed varsity, face inquiries

He further said that the administration also appointed four people out of whom three had been terminated from the Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology (KFUEIT) here and one was facing an inquiry under the Punjab Employees, Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (Peeda) Act.

Prof Dr Munir, 67, was appointed as a professor in BS-21 for three years in the mechanical engineering department against a monthly package of Rs350,000. He had been terminated by KFUEIT syndicate for being above the retirement age of 60 years and facing a conflict of interest, as his company, Aryan Traders, provided transport to the university.

The IUB also appointed security officer Abdul Wadood at its Rahim Yar Khan campus who was terminated through a court order on a first information report against him for torturing a KFUEIT professor outside the premises.

Similarly, it appointed associate professor of physics, Dr Munawar Hussain, who was hired illegally at KFUEIT without fulfilling the Higher Education Commission criteria. He was also terminated through a court order. Bilal Irshaad was hired as the assistant registrar despite him facing an inquiry under the Peeda Act, initiated by the higher education department when he was the additional registrar of KFUEIT. The KFUEIT spokesperson confirmed all these four cases.

It is said that 90 per cent of the appointments mentioned above were made between July and November 2020.

IUB Public Relations Director Shehzad Khalid said these were confidential matters and he will comment only after the syndicate meeting because this was neither approved nor rejected yet. He was of the view that news reports about the syndicate meeting could not be filed based on its agenda only, and also refused to listen to other questions asked by this correspondent.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2021