FAISALABAD: The Punjab Assembly has sought a reply from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) administration on charges of dozens of alleged illegal appointments from grade 5 to 19 and admissions violating the merit.

The reply has been sought following a resolution moved by the PML-N MPA Tahir Jameel.

UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmed denied all charges and said the process was transparent “and can be checked.”

Talking to Dawn, the MPA said the university administration had recruited more than 80 ‘blue-eyed people’ from grade 5 to 19 in main campus and other parts of the institution.

He said a majority of the recruited people belonged to the Rana clan because the VC hailed from the same caste.

He said the university administration had tried to ‘silence’ the parliamentarians by accommodating three students each in different disciplines. And students referred by the parliamentarians were enrolled if they had secured CGPA of 3.6 or above.

He said later on the last day of admission, the university had removed the merit barrier and admitted students even having CPGA of 2.9 or 3.

Admissions had been made from graduation to M Phil level, the MPA claimed. “Scores of students having CGPA of 3.6 contacted me with the complaint that they could not pay Rs150,000 for admission.”

The university officials claimed that such students failed to get admission as they did not contact the department concerned.

“Why did the university officials not bother to contact the brilliant students before accommodating the ineligible people?” the MPA said.

He said following students’ claim it was checked through different sources and three university officials were found collecting amount from the ineligible students.

He said accommodating students of parliamentarians did not mean that “we would keep our eyes closed on the wrongdoings of the university affairs.”

He said he had talked to the VC who had assured him that nothing illegal would happen.

The MPA said as many as 186 applications on various charges had been filed against Dr Ahmed in various departments, including anti-corruption establishment.

“Sensing the situation, first I raised the issue in the last session of the assembly on a point of order and then submitted a resolution which had been accepted,” the legislator said.

He said the assembly has sought reply from the UAF administration on Tuesday (June 28).

Sources said the university administration had been trying to convince the MPA to refrain from attending the session on Tuesday because the discussion on the issue in the house would land the UAF officials in trouble.

The MPA was tight-lipped when asked about reconciliation with the university; however, he said he would not remain silent on the issue.

The VC too did not reply to the query of reconciliation with the MPA.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2016