ISLAMABAD: The University Staff Welfare Association (USWA) of Comsats University Islamabad (CUI) has levelled serious allegations against the university management, calling for the Senate to investigate the matter.

In a letter addressed to the Senate of CUI — its highest decision-making body — which is expected to meet in August, USWA claimed there has been a sustained alleged “breakdown of governance, judicial defiance, and abuse of administrative power.”

The letter signed by USWA General Secretary Huma Mehmood also alleged , a small “unaccountable clique of hijacking the public-sector university through a web of acting appointments, rigged promotions, and systematic retaliation against dissent.”

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The letter highlighted that all key positions — rector, registrar, treasurer, controller, deans, campus directors, head of innovation research and commercialisation (ORIC), and director planning and development — have been illegally held on acting basis for years, many surpassing the maximum tenure permitted under the CUI Act.

It further noted that, following the Supreme Court’s directive, acting appointments should not exceed six months.

Association says varsity positions held on prolonged acting charges violate rules

“The current university Senate’s term is nearing its end and has met only once since 2023. No pro-rector has ever been appointed, rendering the Senate structurally incomplete,” the letter stated.

It also claimed that no audited accounts or treasurer’s reports have ever been presented to the Senate, which is a violation of the CUI Act requiring annual submissions.

“This financial blackout has seriously compromised transparency and financial accountability,” the letter added.

It further asserted that from 2022 to 2023, a subcommittee of the now-defunct Senate unlawfully administered the university, without quorum, legal status, or authority.

“It [the subcommittee] approved statutes, promotions, and plans meant solely for the Senate. USWA calls this ‘institutional fraud’ enabled by deliberate Senate dysfunction.

The letter further alleged that rejected candidates were promoted, statutes were altered to lower eligibility and senior posts were handed to favoured officials, some backdated by five years.

Additionally, it claimed staff who expose wrongdoing are punished by withholding salaries and conducting sham inquiries.

Meanwhile, sources indicated that the CUI governing body will decide on the appointment of a new rector.

Sources said the Senate will discuss both options, whether to go with previously shortlisted candidates or to initiate a new advertisement.

The university has been operating on an ad hoc basis since July 2023, when the then-rector, Dr Mohammad Afzal, resigned, and the then president,Arif Alvi, appointed dean of CUI Dr Sajid Qamar as interim rector.

In September last year, after a competitive process and interviews, a panel of three educationists was sent to the President’s office to select a candidate for the rector’s post. President Asif Ali Zardari, in his capacity as chancellor of the university, approved the appointment of Dr Shahid Munir, followed by a notification from the Ministry of Science and Technology on September 23, 2024.

However, Dr Munir did not assume the role, as on the same day he was appointed vice-chancellor of the University of Engineering and Technology Lahore.

When contacted, Naveed Ahmed Khan, general manager of the Rector’s Office, dismissed the allegations made by USWA in its letter.

He explained that, in the absence of regular rector, vacant seats could not be filled, therefore, the university management, “to run day to day affairs made appointment on all important position, including registrar and controller so that the operation of the university continued in greater interest of students”.

“The management of CUI has nothing to do with the appointment of rector, rather federal government deals with this subject,” he said, adding that the university’s audit is regularly being conducted and all matters are being run per rules.

“There is no truth in the allegations of victimising staff,” he said, asserting that “actions taken by the acting rector are within the rules and these allegations [USWA letter] are baseless.”

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2025