KARACHI: The Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (Fuuast) is facing a controversy over the alleged irregular salary of its vice chancellor, Dr Zabta Khan Shinwari.

Official documents suggested that Dr Shinwari’s salary as the VC was fixed in 2024 and his current salary of Rs728,676 (net amount) was based on a 2019 payslip when he retired as a tenured professor and the Fuuast administration is issuing this salary under the “pay protection” principle.

University sources say the decision to approve this amount bypassed the official procedure that requires approval from the chancellor, the president of Pakistan in this case.

The fixation, they say, was signed internally by the assistant registrar, audit officer, and registrar on March 4, 2024, with a note that it was subject to approval by the competent authority. However, no such approval was ever sought.

The matter has also been highlighted by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), which, in a letter dated June 10, 2024, pointed out anomalies in the pay fixation.

The HEC said that Dr Shinwari’s salary should have been fixed at the starting pay of a tenure track system (TTS) professor, which is Rs394,875.

It described the use of his old, post-retirement payslip as an incorrect basis for determining his new salary. “Foregoing in view, it is recommended that the case may be forwarded to the Hon’ble Chancellor for appropriate decision…,” an HEC letter says.

When Dawn approached the varsity administration on this matter, Fuuast Registrar Dr Sadia Khalil said the allegations of inflated salary were “not true”.

She added that the vice chancellor is getting the “minimum possible salary” as per the university’s established laws.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2025