LAHORE: Punjab Governor/Chancellor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar on Thursday withdrew his orders about holding an inquiry against Government College University (GCU) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi for allegedly harassing and threatening the chairperson of computer science department with dire consequences.

The governor had, on April 12, issued directions to the Higher Education Department (HED) secretary to conduct an inquiry against Prof Zaidi for allegedly harassing computer science department chairperson Prof Dr Syed Asad Raza Kazmi and submit a detailed report within 15 days.

However, the governor withdrew his orders in three days due to reasons unknown while his spokesperson was also not available for a comment.

Earlier, Mr Kazmi had filed a complaint against the VC for allegedly asking him to resign from job and hurling threats at him on March 8, 2021.

The governor had issued directions on April 12 to HED secretary Nadeem Mahbub to look into the matter and submit a report within 15 days but withdrew the order on April 15.

Mr Kazmi told Dawn that he had also received a letter from the Governor House about the withdrawal of inquiry against the VC on his complaint. He said it might be possible that earlier the governor had directed the HED secretary to conduct an inquiry but now he wanted to personally inquire about the issue.

A copy of the complaint filed by Prof Kazmi [available with Dawn] alleges that Prof Zaidi along with three other persons visited the computer science department on March 2 and said, “I have come here to warn you because you had held a meeting in your room about six months ago.” (The specified meeting was attended by two senior deans, chairpersons, a few professors and assistant professors of GCU).

It reads that Dr Zaidi started shouting, threatening him by saying that “you held this meeting in support of your corrupt Guru.” (used for one of the deans).

As per the complaint, Dr Zaidi flew into a rage and said he did not want to see people like him (Prof Kazmi) and Dr Khalid Manzoor in the university and, therefore, he should resign.

appointments: Governor/ Chancellor Chaudhry Sarwar on Thursday approved appointments in various universities.

Mr Sarwar has approved the appointment of Dr Intisar Ahmad as Dean of Faculty Engineering and Technology Lahore, Lahore College for Women University, Muhammad Shafiq as the Dean of Quality and Industrial Systems Engineering University of the Punjab, Prof Dr Sofia Anwar as the member of Syndicate, Dean of Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, and Dr Muhammad Kamran as Dean Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology.

The governor also approved the rules and regulations for appointments of employees of the University of Mianwali.

He said transparency and merit were being ensured in universities across Punjab and steps were being taken to resolve all matters of universities on an urgent basis as per rules and regulations. He said that the present government believed in the strength of institutions, so it is pursuing a policy of purging the institutions of political interference.

Mr Sarwar said that steps were being taken to resolve all the issues of the universities on an urgent basis in accordance with the rules and regulations. He said that for the first time in Punjab, all appointments including the vice chancellors of the universities were being made on merit.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2021