PESHAWAR: A notice served by the University of Peshawar on Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan Afridi about six months ago has stirred a controversy, prompting the minister to accuse the governor of hatching a conspiracy against him to derail reforms in the department.

In his clarification about the notice, which went viral on social media, the minister termed it a conspiracy to put pressure on him for halting the ongoing reforms in the higher education department.

The notice was issued by UoP on January 9 for creating disturbance during examinations for first semester of Bachelor of Law. The notice was issued to Meena Khan at a time when he was not a minister.

Subject of the notice is ‘use of unfair means in university examinations’.

“You are alleged for unfair means during the aforementioned (Bachelor of Law 1st Semester) examination. You are directed to appear before the examination discipline committee of the university on January 30 in the office of controller examinations,” says the notice.

Sources in UoP told Dawn that Meena Khan had appeared before the examination discipline committee on the scheduled date.

They said that he was cleared by the committee after imposing minor fine on him.

Sources said that it was a routine matter and no serious charges were farmed against him.

“The notice for unfair means in the examinations is old,” the minister said in his statement to media about the issue. He said that the incident took place at a time when elections were not held and PTI was not ruling the province. He said that he appeared before the committee. He added that the committee cleared him when he presented his stance before it.

The minister said that the notice for unfair means was put on social media when he issued a statement against Governor Faisal Kareem Kundi.

“Some people have high concerns about my statement against the governor. Instead of governor, such people have made viral the notice on social media and a campaign was launched against me and my party,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2024