ISLAMABAD, Sept 14: After a series of scandals highlighted by media, the management of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) has banned faculty members and staff from interacting with mediapersons.

A circular in this regard has been issued by the management in which all the staff has been instructed to desist from giving any information or statement to mediaperson, Dawn has learnt.

According to sources, for the last couple of months the university has been strewn with a number of scandals which have been highlighted by the media. The media brought to the fore the adhocism with which the institute of higher education is being run by the management as the university could not get a fulltime rector and president in one and half years. That is why the university has been in the grip of a number of problems.

A faculty member of the university requesting not to be identified said that this year a case regarding sexual harassment was highlighted in the media which tarnished the image of the university.

“Then faculty members started leaving the university because of grouping and internal politics in the university. Although most of the senior faculty members have been working in other institutes and non-governmental organisation but when junior teachers start teaching in academies they seek explanation from them,” he said.

“Because of internal politics a head of a department had to bow to the pressure of some faculty members and surrendered his post,” he said.

An officer of the university on condition of anonymity said that a recent inquiry by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) into the embezzlement in purchase of fuel from 1984 to 2008 by transport section has badly disturbed the management because there are a number of officers who were allegedly involved in over-billing of fuel.

“They feared that federal (FIA) and other investigation agencies can also start looking into the issues,” he said.

Meanwhile, Officers Welfare Association in a meeting, reportedly on the instructions of the management, on Thursday demanded that issues of university should not be published in press.

Participants of meeting said that the IIUI administration was competent, honest and forward looking. The meeting especially pointed out that whole procedure of purchase and procurement of the university was transparent and there were no flaws in its functioning. The meeting was attended by Raja Muhammad Munir, Rana Asghar Ali Shahid, Hawwa Yasin, Noor Hussain and other members.

On the other hand, the spokesman of the university Hairan Khattak confirmed that a circular had been issued by the management through which all the staff has been instructed not to interact with mediapersons. He, however, said that being a spokesman, he was authorised to speak to media.

“There are some officers who want to defame the university,” he said.

He confirmed that NAB had been investigating the embezzlement in transport section. Since 2011 audit did not find any wrongdoing the matter would be resolved, he said.

Acting rector of the university Prof. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai while talking to Dawn said that circular was issued on his instructions because faculty members were more interested in media interaction than doing their duty.

“They spend most of the time in meeting foreign missions and media persons. They should concentrate on their research work, learning and teaching,” he said.