THIS is apropos of news reports about a ban on providing any information to the media or any other outside source relating to the matters of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Scie-nce and Technology (FUUAST).

The ban was imposed by the temporary Registrar on Sept 22 by invoking Official Secrets Act 1923 (OSA).

The Act reminds us of colonial law that protects the government from the public. In democracy, the public is the government and since the country has entered into a new era of democracy, imposition of the OSA in the public university is a reminder of the old colonial and dictatorial era which denied the people their right of access to information.

The right to freedom of information is now considered to be a customary international law. It is a crucial step towards a deeper and more meaningful democracy.

Information enables people to make enlightened choices, and keep tabs on elected representatives and officials who claim to act on their collective behalf.

It should be noted that FUUAST was established under Model University Ordinance (MUO) avowed by its propagator to promulgate accountability and transparency in public sector universities but this experiment proved the worst case of maladministration and corruption, particularly in FUUAST.

For instance, there is complete non-compliance of rules and lack of transparency in appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff, formation of syndicate not according to the rules enshrined in the MUO, there is no proper representation of teachers in the university senate, and the MBA programme is being run without proper and competent faculty.

It should also be noted that since its inception FUUAST has no permanent registrar and finance director, even the vice chancellor has been appointed recently.

This ad hocism, unaccountability and ambiguity at the top level of the university administration have infected all departments of FUUAST which are now presenting a chaotic picture.

Moreover, the situation has also made the ad hoc administration quite powerful. Since power tends to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely, there is an inherent danger that vast powers available to FUUAST executives may be used not for public good, but for private gain.

It is necessary for people to have as much information about the university as possible. This is because openness and transparency will serve as a powerful check on the abuse and misuse of power by the authorities

FUUAST is a public sector institution and it is the right of the people to have information about what is going on in the university. The issuance of a notice on Sept 22 by the FUUAST authorities curbing the right to access information raises many doubts and serious questions in one`s mind.

What is going on in FUUAST which its administration is hiding from the public eye by invoking OSA at this time, or is this a way to cover up their maladministration and corruption?

The authorities should look into the matter and save this prestigious institution from the trap of those who do not understand the meaning of freedom of expression, right to information, democratic values, transparency and academic freedom.

SAJID HUSSAIN

Karachi