GUJRAT: The acting vice chancellor (VC) of University of Gujrat (UoG), Prof Dr Faheem Malik, has reshuffled several officials in the administration just when the appointment of a regular VC is a matter of days. Earlier, he transferred dozens after taking charge in January.

The UoG management has surprisingly handed over additional charge of the all-important Directorate of Administration and Coordination to its press, media and publications director, Sheikh Abdul Rasheed, who had earlier been stripped of his role as the varsity spokesman and printing press manager a few months ago.

Mr Rasheed has faced a number of inquiries as well as other harsh actions initiated by the acting regime against him and sidelined from the administrative affairs. He had been serving as the varsity spokesman since 2006 but the post was later handed over to Registrar Dr Tahir Aqeel by the acting VC.

The administration and coordination director will have to handle a daunting task arising out of the varsity’s new transport facility policy. Moreover, a lavish disbursement of funds as an honourarium allegedly among hand-picked staff members along with an ongoing reshuffle at key positions have left many aghast at the real motives behind the moves.

The summary for the appointment of regular VCs at five public sector universities, including the UoG, has already been sent to the Punjab chief minister. It is a matter of days before a regular VC takes charge here.

A former warden of the UoG girls hostel, Dr Shahida Bashir, who had been removed by former VC Dr Nizamuddin, was assigned the same post on July 1. Another notification was issued to appoint Assistant Professor Dr Zakia Bano as director of the UoG City Campus Fawara Chowk.

“Realising that his days as acting vice chancellor are numbered, Dr Muhammad Faheem Malik has geared up for the final phase of… such reshuffling,” said an official source.

“On the one hand you put an end to transport facility for new students on the pretext of lack of funds, while on the other precious resources of millions of rupees have been disbursed among the hand-picked favourite employees in the name of honorarium,” said another official.

Approximately Rs3 million was drawn from the university account and transferred to the accounts of 37 employees between grade 17 and above as honorarium however a few employees in lower grades received small amounts as well.

As part of the reshuffle, the additional charge of Directorate of Security has been given to Islamic Studies Department head Dr Arshad Munir Leghari through a notification issued on Monday.

The acting VC had earlier allowed Security Director retired Maj Raja Umar Younus to go to Allama Iqbal Open University on deputation for a year due to which the varsity could not recruit a new director. However the additional charge of the post has been handed over to a person who does not possess relevant experience.

Until recently, the UoG had been on Category-A security alert since the terror attack on Bacha Khan University in 2016.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2019