ISLAMABAD: On the recommendations of a five-member inquiry committee, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training on Tuesday referred the case of the Federal Urdu University, Sciences and Technology (Fuuast) to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for a probe into ‘massive irregularities’.

“After startling revelations in the inquiry report, which pointed out massive alleged malpractices and irregularities in Urdu University, we have referred the inquiry report to the FIA, requesting it to launch a probe,” said an education ministry official.

The decision was taken on the orders of Education Secretary Waseem Ajmal Chauhdry. Fuuast is a public sector university with main campuses in Karachi and Islamabad.

The letter, which was addressed to FIA on October 24, stated: “The inquiry committee has observed that a large number of administrative and financial irregularities and unlawful decisions that have taken place during the last two years, particularly the last year …during the tenure of [the] former acting VC,” read the letter, which requested the FIA “to carry out a detailed investigation of the alleged administrative and financial irregularities”.

On Oct 5, the education ministry notified a five-member inquiry committee headed by Senior Joint Secretary Abdul Sattar Khokhar. Other members included HEC Director General Nasir Shah, National University of Modern Languages (Numl) Regional Director Syed Ali Haider Kazmi, Allama Iqbal Open University Faculty of Social Science Dean Prof Dr. Abdul Aziz Sahir, and HEC Director Finance Samina Durrani.

The committee was tasked to probe the administrative and financial irregularities in the affairs of the Urdu University. The inquiry committee, besides other charges, pointed out that Acting VC Dr Mohammad Ziauddin, who was supposed to run the daily affairs, held an “illegal syndicate meeting in September 2022”.

The committee said that according to the university’s Senate directive, “An acting VC chancellor shall not make any appointment, termination, promotion”.

It further revealed, “Nevertheless, on September 21, 2023, significant promotions, up-gradations and appointments were made through un-notified/illegal syndicate meeting.”

The inquiry committee recommended that all decisions made in the meeting of the said syndicate held unlawfully on September 21, may immediately be quashed and considered void ab initio.

Moreover, the decisions made in various meetings of the selection board held between May 2021 and August 2021, wherein 235 candidates were selected out of 1,100 applicants may also be quashed and considered void ab initio.

“The principal seat of the university may immediately be moved to Islamabad. All important office-bearers of Fuuast may also be shifted/stationed at Islamabad along with the office of VC,” said the inquiry report.

It further recommended a special audit of the university without any delay. “The FIA may be assigned the task to carry out a detailed investigation into the alleged administrative and financial regularities against all delinquents, which include but are not limited to former acting VC Dr Ziauddin, former registrar Dr Mahjabeen, Director Asif Rafique, former treasurer Syed Iqbal Hussain Naqvi, and representative of CBA Employee Union Adnan Akhtar.

“All 28 unapproved /illegal bank accounts of the university may be frozen until the investigation [by FIA] is completed. A single account should be maintained by the university in Islamabad and balances of the rest of the accounts may be transferred to the new account immediately,” the inquiry recommended.

It suggested all admissions processes may be stopped with immediate effect and added: “Former VC along with the said officials may also be barred from entering the university premises till the conclusion…investigation by the FIA.”

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2023