ISLAMABAD: The Academic Staff Association (ASA) of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) on Monday accused Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Ashraf of irregularities in running the affairs of the university.

Addressing a press conference, ASA President Syed Aqeel Bukhari and other office-bearers said because of the incompetence of the VC and alleged malpractice and irregularities of the QAU administration the university had earned a bad name during the last four years.

They said the university was being ‘governed’ without a permanent registrar, deputy registrar, controller examinations, treasurer, director planning and purchase officer.

The ASA representatives alleged that academic heads, deans and chairpersons had been appointed on an ad hoc basis.

“The fledgling department of linguistics has been closed and the prestigious department of management sciences almost destroyed,” said the ASA president.

He said in 2016 the president/chancellor had taken notice of the situation and instructed the HEC to conduct an inquiry into the affairs of the QAU.

The inquiry committee in its report issued in February 2017 held the vice chancellor responsible for gross violations and recommended his immediate replacement.

The ASA leaders said the VC had been victimising faculty members and that some individuals with dubious credentials had been appointed as professors and directors by him.

They said the VC bought a new car for himself despite a government ban on purchase of vehicles. Millions of rupees have been spent on the construction and furnishing of the VC house.

He is also receiving house rent amounting to millions of rupees every year under his contract agreement.

They said the VC also risked around Rs750 millions of the university funds by making investments with private and low-rating banks.

Last year, for the first time in the history of QAU, they added, almost 50pc of admissions to the BS programmes in different departments were delayed by more than six weeks.

In March 2018, taking notice of the rift between the VC and the faculty members the then federal minster for education formed a committee to investigate the alleged irregularities in accordance with the QAU Act.

But so far, the committee could not finalise its findings and members of the committee are being harassed by the VC, they alleged. The ASA also filed a case in Islamabad High Court against the VC for allegedly victimising the faculty and the court ordered to maintain the status quo.

They said till the finalisation of the committee report and the court case the VC lacked the legal/moral authority to chair/convene meetings of any of the statutory bodies.

The president of the Federation of All Pakistan University Academic Staff Association (Islamabad chapter) along with members of the Officers Welfare Association and the Employees Welfare Association were also present at the press conference.

When contacted, VC Dr Javed Ashraf said just to build pressure on the university administration the ASA had been making non issues as an issue. He said the QAU syndicate was going to meet on Tuesday and the ASA representatives might be thinking that disciplinary action would be initiated against them for staging unnecessary protest.

“They are just building pressure and their allegations are baseless,” he said, adding there were 25 agenda items for the meeting such as approval of the university budget.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2018