Day three: Students protest change of department heads

Claim acting VC replaced qualified staff before Havelian campus acquired university status.


Our Correspondent September 19, 2014

ABBOTABAD:


Students of the Havelian campus of Hazara University continued boycotting their classes on Friday for the third consecutive day in protest against the transfer of heads of departments. The students threatened to block the Karakorum Highway if their demands were not met.


Havelian campus officials said in the last few days, (acting) Vice Chancellor Dr Suhail Shehzad appointed new heads of departments, replacing sitting ones from the departments of management sciences, economics, Pakistan studies and mathematics. Those replaced had been doing their job for at least the last four years to the satisfaction of the students and university management, added university insiders. The newly-posted heads are junior in rank, they claimed. This is why students are against the vice chancellor’s decision, said the affected people.

Students of seven departments, except the pharmacy department, boycotted classes and took out a procession to pressurize the vice chancellor into reversing his order.

A student told The Express Tribune that Dr Sultan, a senior teacher with a PhD, had been heading the Pakistan Studies department for six years. Dr Sultan was transferred to bring in a teacher who had just enrolled in the history department for an MPhil.

Likewise, teachers with lesser qualifications have replaced seniors in other departments.

Another student accused the vice chancellor of being biased and appointing the new department heads based on “their language skills”. Citing the example of Havelian Campus Acting Assistant Registrar Asif Suhail, the student said the registrar was originally appointed as an administrative assistant but has now been given the charge of an assistant registrar. This is also a violation of rules, added the student.

Since the campus has been declared a full-fledged university and paper work was to be completed within weeks, the acting vice chancellor was trying to bring in his people by violating the standards of merit and experience, alleged the student.

Protesters said they would continue with the strike unless their demands were met.

University status

Havelian campus of the university was started about six years ago with two departments and only a few students. Today, there are 1,200 students in eight departments. Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairperson Imran Khan announced the campus would become a full-fledged university at a recent trip there.

When approached for comments, Campus Coordinator Dr Ayub Jadoon and Vice Chancellor Shehzad were not available. According to clerical staff, Jadoon and Shehzad were out to attend official meetings.

An official accused politicians of taking advantage of students. He said all transfers and postings at the university were standard procedure and rules were followed for the new department heads’ appointment.

Minister for Higher Education Mushtaq Ghani, who also belongs to Abbottabad, has taken notice and has asked the vice chancellor to bring the situation under control.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2014.

 

COMMENTS (1)

Ahmad | 9 years ago | Reply

I agree that certain heads have been changed but has any one gone in the dept of the matter to verify the same? first of all dr sultan is no doubt a phd faculty member but he is on deputation from college nd not heading pak study dpt for last six year in havelian campus. Secondly as per law an officer within in administration can be posted anywhere in univ so the question of assigning duty from asst Admn to asst reg is not of hu nd cry. People from one dpt in a province go on deputation to other dept on lucrative posts nd in that case if it's justified then here in hazara univ it's also fine.thirdly One should go nd ask that why two appropriate orders of economics nd mgt science are reversed ? The faculty members serving in said dpts were replaced by relevant people but since one was lady being senior both in academic nd experience context could not have access to right forum that's why her order was cancelled nd the second order whr a man from Maths background was replaced with a man of mgt science was reversed for the unknown reason. Is this justice ? The vc hazar has issued right orders but four faculty persons namely Ajmal,Sajid,Fawad nd ahsan under the weak nd cunning coordinator Ayub Jadoon provoked nd instigated students to boycott the classes nd these faculty pulled out other teachers from their classes to accompany them in their meaningless nd wrong campaign.faculty of pharm-D openly refused to be part of this dirty politicits on record that their senior faculty member of pharm-D of grade 19 nd above complained nd conveyed in written to the Vc that these foure people are responsible for disturbance at havelian campus.its worth to note that the Vc hazar is performing in acting capacity nd that's the reason that Mushtaq gani minister HED is using him like tissue paper. Is this wat PTI promotes nd believe in a bright change nd future. Shame on Mushtaq gani that he directly interferes in univ affaires to such extent that has created an imbalance in the doings nd performance of VC. The coordinator of havelian campus is not a fair man bcz he is now creating ethnic groups nd confronting students of this nd that area. Shame on the wives of Ajmal nd Ayub Jadoon who are also busy in helping their husbands in this diet campaign nd playing with the futures of students. Students are being involved unnecessarily in university affaires for the reason to get their personal benefits nd postings.

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