LAHORE: Government College University (GCU) vice chancellor on Monday suspended four employees, including a former registrar and a professor, from service over corruption, mismanagement, favouritism and workplace harassment charges.

GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Ahmad Adnan confirmed to Dawn that the suspensions were ordered following thorough investigations into various charges leveled against the officials.

The suspension notifications available with Dawn carry the reasons behind each employee’s suspension.

According to the notification, Prof Dr Nasir Khan, chairperson of the electrical engineering department, was suspended with immediate effect pending an inquiry into charges of workplace harassment, abusive behaviour towards faculty and staff, and favouritism in administrative decisions.

In another notification, Additional Registrar (Estt) Tahir Mahmood Bashir has been suspended on administrative grounds, on account of disciplinary proceedings on the charges of misconduct, tempering with university records, and workplace harassment. It says that his refusal to conform to the permissible directions of the VC on the day-to-day affairs of the university are tantamount to misconduct.

In the third notification, Registrar Dr Shaukat Ali has been relieved from his duties on account of disciplinary proceedings on the charges of delay in the timely submission of necessary data to the Higher Education Department (HED), manipulating the administrative orders, tempering with the log book of vehicle No. LEJ-19-1875, that remained under his personal use. He is also accused of provoking and leading the registrar’s office staff to launch a protest on March 2, 2024 in front of the VC’s office, demanding four percent share from university overheads.

Similarly, Assistant Registrar Atif Ikram has been suspended over allegations of mismanagement and corruption.

The VC says that multiple agencies, including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Special Branch, and others, have been contacted to initiate inquiries into the cases.

Responding to the concerns raised over appointment of Associate Professor Ayub Rashid as hostel superintendent and allowing him to use the VC House as residence,Vice Chancellor Adnan clarified that Rashid was appointed as the superintendent of the Quaid-e-Azam Hostel, and that the decision to use the VC House as Rashid’s residence was reverted.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2024