ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: Almost five months have passed but the position of a full time rector International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) still lies vacant. And so does the post of the university’s president which has not been filled since December 2010.
Following complaints by an embassy, former rector Prof Fateh Mohammad Malik was sent on leave for an indefinite period on May 12, 2012,and the acting charge of the university was handed over to Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Masoom Yasinzai.
According to sources, because of politics in the university, not only three deans had to leave the university but also the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) initiated an inquiry into embezzlement in the purchase of fuel for a fleet of around 140 vehicles and sealed the record of the university in September 2012.
In the absence of a full-time rector and president, there is no one to deal with administrative issues.
A faculty member of the university, requesting not to be identified, said that acting rector Dr Masoom Yasinzai was handling QAU, which has around 10,000 students while IIUI has over 20,000 students.
Therefore it was not possible for him to deal with administrative issues of the Islamic varsity.
On the other hand, president of IIUI Dr Anwar Hussain Siddiqui retired in December 2010 and no one has been appointed in his place.
The post for president IIUI was advertised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in February 2012, and more than 50 candidates applied for the post.
It was the first-time that a criterion was adopted for evaluation of applications.
A faculty member said: “Top 10 applicants were called for the interviews that were scheduled for April 9. However, interviews were called off and rescheduled for April 23. Nine candidates appeared for the interview.”
“The interviewing panel comprised HEC Chairman Dr Javaid Leghari, the then rector IIUI Dr Fateh Muhammad Malik and ex-secretary foreign affairs Riaz Khokhar,” he said.
In April 2012, Dr Malik sent three names including Prof Dr Hafiz Muhammad Iqbal and Dr Muhammad Mumtaz to the President of Pakistan for nomination but later it was learnt that because of alleged intervention by an ambassador, a foreign educationist, Dr Darvesh, (who was not applicant) was selected for the post of president IIUI, he said.
According to sources, Dr Darvesh visited the country in the third week of September but refused to give joining because a vilifying campaign against him was started and faculty members were saying that the appointment of a foreign national would disturb the environment at the university and there will be a communication gap between faculty and management.
When contacted, the university’s spokesman, Hairan Khattak, said that the IIUI management was informed by the authorities concerned that after President Asif Ali Zardari returned from abroad, the president of IIUI would be nominated.
Acting rector of IIUI, Masoom Yasinzai, while talking to Dawn, said that a search committee had already sent three names for the position of president of the university.
“The name of Professor Dr Sahibzada Pir Sajidur Rahman has also been sent to President Zardari but I cannot predict that how much time it will take in the nomination,” he said.
“It takes time for security clearance and other processes but we are hopeful that president IIUI will be appointed soon. I give proper time to IIUI and sit there from 4pm to 9pm to assure all issues of the university are solved,” he said.