LAHORE: The Chief Minister’s Inspection Team (CMIT) has requested Punjab Governor/Chancellor Balighur Rehman to remove Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) Vice Chancellor (VC) Dr Athar Mahboob from the post after allegations of financial irregularities and illegal appointments were proved in its inquiry.

The chancellor can remove the VC in exercise of his powers under Section 14(6) of the Islamia University Bahawalpur Act 1975.

The CMIT further recommended to the government that Dr Mahboob should also be barred from serving in any government institution/ department.

It sought lodging a case with Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) regarding financial irregularities and irregular appointments/recruitments, which caused ‘serious financial loss’ to both the universities, i.e. the IUB and Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology (KFUEIT), Rahim Yar Khan, where he completed his tenure as the VC before joining the IUB about two-and-a-half years back.

VC rubbishes allegations, cries foul

The CMIT had launched an inquiry against Dr Mahboob on complaints of Dr Syed Shakir Ali Ghazali, the ex-director of the IUB Rahim Yar Khan Campus, and Nadeem Advocate.

The CMIT report, available with Dawn, states that the charge of financial irregularities worth Rs5m against by the VC for holding a two-day cultural activity in 2020 was proved during the probe.

The other allegations, including the appointment of three additional treasurers against one advertised post, were also proved as the posts were filled in violation of the service statutes. The allegation of 100 illegal appointments referred to in the audit paras, as pointed out by the applicant, also stood proved. There were proofs that the appointment of Dr Munir Ahmed as professor was made without approved statutes and in violation of merit and criteria. The financial irregularities worth Rs10m were committed during payment to M/s Technas and it was proved as per the available record, the report said.

The CMIT has found proof of the allegations of misuse of emergency powers also in appointments of chairmen/chairpersons of various departments. It states that the posts of associate lecturers did not exist in the existing Service Statutes of the IUB and the approval by the VC for appointments of 300 associate lecturers without having service statutes was also declared as illegal. The recruitment of 176 junior clerks against 18 advertised posts was also found to be illegal as any IUB authority, including the selection board, had no power to increase the number of seats after the advertisement or during the selection process.

Regarding the CMIT report, Dr Mahboob told Dawn that all the allegations leveled against him were a pack of lies and the CMIT had conducted one-sided inspection. He said he was working as the VC and he knew more about the university act than the CMIT.

“All the finances used for the development of the university were completely approved by the syndicate of the university,” he said and alleged that the people who had lodged complaints against him wanted to malign him.

Dr Mahboob further said the selection board was conducted to make all the appointments during his tenure and these appointments were duly approved by the syndicate. He said the syndicate also had the power to create a post and it might have created associate lecturers posts, claiming that all the people were hired while completing legal formalities.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2022