ISLAMABAD, Nov 25: Majority of the MPhil and PhD students at the electronics department of Quaid-i-Azam University are lacking basic research facilities such as computers, printers etc.

The Quaid-i-Azam University, which was established in 1965 with the objective of providing post-doctoral research studies, lacked fundamental research facilities, a group of students from electronics department told Dawn.

“Due to personal differences between teachers, we (students) are the ultimate losers”, a student complained.

Those students, who are doing research under the supervision of the department’s chairman, Dr Rizvi, have been provided with the necessary equipment as per their requirements, he added. “We are nine MPhil and four PhD students doing research under the supervision of Dr Ijaz Mansoor Qureshi, who at the moment is on one year leave. Unfortunately, there is not a single computer in our laboratory that could be used for research purpose”, an MPhil student told Dawn on condition of anonymity.

When the students informed the department’s chairman, Dr Rizvi, he said: “Since your supervisor is on leave, therefore, it is not possible for the department to provide students the required facilities independently.”

However, the students working under the supervision of Dr Suhail, who is on four years leave, have also been given the necessary facilities.

“Since private education sector offers huge pay packages to professors, majority of the teachers concentrated more on their private jobs than on their government duties”, a PhD student said.

When the students forwarded an application to the Dean of Natural Sciences, Dr Malik, he said: “If a person of my stature gets a computer after such a long time than you too should wait for some time to get the said facilities no matter how important your work is.”

When this scribe visited the research laboratory, it appeared deserted.

A student said: “If this is the standard of one of the best universities, than what to talk about other research institutions working under the government of Pakistan.”