• Employees urge caretaker CM to probe allegations of misuse of authority by ex-director
• Dr Choudhary denies charges, claims he enjoys ‘global credibility’

KARACHI: Several employees of the International Centre for Chem­ical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), part of the University of Karachi, have sought intervention from the caretaker chief minister (CM) in the institutional affairs, asking him to hold an inquiry against former director and renowned scientist Prof Dr Iqbal Choudhary, who they claimed is still using influence in administrative matters.

In a letter to the caretaker CM, they alleged that former ICCBS director was involved in ‘blatant violations of the university rules and regulations and financial corruption’ during his 21-year-long stint on the campus.

The two-page letter attached with a 78-page “documentary evidence” is submitted by accounts officers, lab assistants and an office assistant associated with the ICCBS that comprises of the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry and Dr Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research.

The employees alleged that the former ICCBS director managed to serve his pre-retirement tenure (2002-2019) and post-retirement tenure (2019-2023) without getting approval of his appointments to the top post from the university’s syndicate, a mandatory requirement for appointments to the posts on grade 17 and above under the KU code.

“After serving as the sole authority for 21 years, Prof Iqbal Choudhary was recently removed from his office by the executive board headed by KU vice chancellor. Still, he continues to pressurise the administration and influence the institute’s affairs,” alleges the Nov 28 letter.

The employees alleged that the former director received a huge amount from the commercial income generated by the Industrial Analytical Centre (IAC), part of the ICCBS, as honorarium and got his pension raised illegally from Rs66,000 to Rs260,000.

They also accused him of purchasing properties worth billions of rupees in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi with official grant and without getting approval from the provincial government.

‘Post never publicised in 17 years’

The documents attached with the letter include a 2020 report of the director general of the Sindh Audit who declared reappointment of Prof Choudhary after retirement a violation of the rules.

Citing the university rules, he stated that the appointment to the post of the ICCBS director was to be made from among three most senior in-service professors on the recommendation of the VC, which wasn’t done.

Hence, the official pointed out, the reappointment of a retired professor was in violation of the University of Karachi Act 1974, the Sindh Universities Law (Amen­dments) Act 2013 and instruction of the apex court.

The official also described the fixed monthly salary of Rs450,000 offered to the retired professor as against the university rules according to which a retired person could only be hired for two years “at a salary he drew at the age of superannuation after observing all formalities per law”.

He also raised concern over Prof Choudhary’s pre-retirement tenure of 17 years and observed that the university failed to justify and provide required documents for this time period when asked to do so.

The post of the ICCBS director, the report stated, was never advertised from 2002 till 2019 and Prof Choudhary remained on the position for 17 years without interruption.

In the absence of such a record, the official declared the 17 years of service of the former director ‘irregular’.

Role of KU VC questioned

The official questioned the role of the KU VC for not taking notice of the “tailored advertisement initiated by Dr M. Iqbal Choudhary prior to his retirement” and stated that “it seems that a settlement” was made among the management of the KU headed by the VC/chairman of the ICCBS executive board and its management.

“The concerns about mala fide practices by the management of ICCBS with the help of the University of Karachi were identified and the university was requested to explain the position, but the management failed to respond appropriately,” the report says.

The documents also include the recent 2023 report of the DG-Audit who noted that the research facility’s funds of Rs250 million were invested in plots and bungalows in DHAs in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad during 2003-05 and 2007-12 without approval from a ‘competent forum’.

The investment included 15 double-storey bungalows in DHA Lahore, a 500-square plot in DHA Islamabad and six plots in DHA Karachi.

*Dr Choudhary responds to allegations

Talking to Dawn, Prof Choudhary explained that the ICCBS had its own statutes, like some other research and academic facilities at the KU, and a board of governors headed by the KU VC to manage administrative and financial affairs.

“The executive board also has representation from the KU syndicate. The centre has been run by its executive board for a long time and there is nothing illegal,” he said, adding that his pension (of Rs260,000) was duly approved by all concerned officials including the KU director finance.

He rejected the allegation about “pressuring the current ICCBS administration” and said he had “global reputation and credibility” and that the current ICCBS director was also recommended to the post by him.

On real estate investment, Prof Choudhary argued that it was done for institutional sustainability thro­ugh an investment committee.

“It was a conscious decision taken in 2002 when Dr Atta-ur-Rehman was heading the facility. At that time, a committee headed by the then KU vice chancellor was set up to discuss investment options for institutional sustainability. The investment amount came from the services offered by research facilities here. None of the property was ever sold.”

The property, Prof Choudhary said, was in the institution’s name and the director served only as a signing authority that now would be the current director. “There was no relevant provincial law and the investment decision was made under the best practices being followed at that time.”

“We have already replied to these audit reports and all the records can easily be accessed,” he said.

KU VC Prof Khalid Iraqi, who was holding an acting charge in 2019, wasn’t available for comments on alleged irregularities that ranged from the publication of a controversial advertisement by the ICCBS, a flawed selection process and fixing an exorbitant salary for him against the university rules.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2023