LAHORE, Feb 27: The Punjab University has been violating its own Act as well as the Supreme Court's orders regarding grant of extension to senior university administrative officers for the last couple of years.

Most officials, who have been granted extension in job, are the retired armymen appointed on contract between 2000 and 2001 by vice-chancellor Arshad Mahmood for a period of only six months.

These officials include the registrar, the additional registrar, the controller, the additional controller, the resident officer, and the project director.

The VC has been allowing them extension by using anticipatory orders. However, under Section 15(3)4 of the Punjab University Act 1973, to create and fill temporary posts, a period must not be exceeded by six months.

Under section 19 of the Act, the controller of the examination should be a full-time officer of the university and shall be appointed by the syndicate on such terms and conditions as any determined by it.

Besides, the posts should be advertised for permanent selection. The PU had advertised the posts of the registrar and the resident officer in 1999 but did not follow the procedure.

On the other hand, the Supreme Court has ordered that no recruitment should be made against any post which is not advertised properly. No ad hoc appointments should be converted into regular appointments without advertising the posts and no recruitment be made without observing rules and prescribed procedure.

Surprisingly, the PU had circulated the order's copy to its relevant section like the dean of faculties, directors of the institutes of the constituent colleges and heads of the university's teaching and non-teaching departments.

It also learnt that the university had appointed a project director on contract against a filled post which is also a violation of the Act. It may, however, be mentioned that the appointment of a number of retired army men in the PU had also been questioned in the Punjab Assembly.

When asked about the violation of the university Act and Supreme Court's orders in the PU officers' extension cases, Education Minister Imran Masood told Dawn the other day that the chief minister was a "competent authority" to give them extension.

Some university teachers showed resentment over the extension given to the officers especially the retired armymen. They were of the view that the university was being run by ad hoc officers.

The VC was not available for comments. However, PU registrar Col Masoodul Haq (retired) said that the extension was not an issue. "We are serving the university with full dedication", he said.