ISLAMABAD:
The employees of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology (FUUAST) Islamabad campus continued their protest against vice-chancellor Dr Zafar Iqbal in connection with his alleged involvement in a Rs150 million embezzlement scam.
The employees protested against the alleged mismanagement and corruption of the VC as well as the lull over the construction of the Islamabad campus and non-provision of medical facilities to the employees.
Amid slogan-shouting, speakers claimed that instead of taking notice of the mismanagement, the VC has dismissed three employees and stopped salaries of several others.
To add insult to injury, they claim, the VC regularised 19 employees of the FUUAST Karachi campus.
The employees said such ‘administrative actions’ by the varsity head would not be tolerated and demanded that employees of the Islamabad campus also be regularised.
They also requested the President of Pakistan, who is also the university’s chancellor, and chairman of the Higher Education Commission to take notice of the issue as no action has been taken against anyone for the last few months.
Since reports emerged of a Rs150 million scam at the university’s Islamabad campus, the top management has spent much of its time passing the buck.
The money was allegedly transferred from a university account to a private account and then ‘invested’ in some private businesses, all of which purportedly occurred without the knowledge of the top management.
Five university employees involved in opening the bank account were suspended following an inquiry report.
According to university sources, after learning of the illegal account, the VC set up an inquiry committee headed by newly-appointed campus in charge Lt Gen (retired) Shahid Aziz.
The committee found the VC’s Personal Secretary Abdul Rashid Bangash, accountant Hammad Kayani, audit officer Rana Asif, deputy registrar Shah Muhammad and another official involved in opening the new account.
The five were suspended immediately but the VC later reconstituted the committee by removing Aziz for unspecified reasons.
Sources at the university said Aziz was investigating the issue thoroughly and
that the names of senior officials from the university’s Karachi campus had also popped up during the investigation.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2014.
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