Conflict of interest: Govt nominates sacked employee for UoP executive body

Muhammad Khalil was dismissed over charges of corruption

PESHAWAR:

The provincial government has nominated a former BPS-11 employee who had been fired from Islamia College University to be a member of the varsity’s syndicate.

Muhammad Yahya Shah Khalil was an associate engineer in the works department in ICU in 1995-1998, said an official of the college, wishing to remain anonymous. The official added Khalil was fired over charges of corruption during the construction of Takbeer Hall in the institute.

At a news conference about the Universities (Amendment) Act 2015 at Peshawar Press Club on Monday, teachers of ICU said Khalil is the brother-in-law of K-P Higher Education Secretary Muhammad Ali Shehzada. They said Khalil was nominated by the governor on the recommendation of Shehzada.

The nomination of Khalil and two others was in a notification of the K-P Higher Education Department on May 7. A copy of the document available with The Express Tribune states three members nominated for the executive body include K-P Excise Department Tax Facilitation Centre Project Director (contract) Sahibzada Saleemur Rehan, Peshawar CM Secretariat Complaint Cell Chairman Dilroz Khan and former ICU associate engineer Muhammad Yahya Shah Khalil.

Inner workings

Every university has two bodies, senate and syndicate, that are responsible for creating laws and dealing with important matters of the institute. According to the Universities Act 2011, the syndicate consists of 22 members in which 19 are from the university while three are nominated by the chancellor who is the provincial governor. These three have to be from among eminent people from the province.

However, Khalil does also not fit the criteria set for the nomination of members for the syndicate.

Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association K-P chapter president Dr Fazli Nasir told The Express Tribune the government plans to bring reforms in universities but has selected a person who was sacked over corruption charges for an important position. He added the Universities (Amendment) Act 2015 centres around powers of the vice chancellor. If such reforms will be made in the system, reputable institutes will suffer, added Nasir.

When contact, Higher Education Deputy Secretary Kaleemullah Baloch said they do not know about the nomination of the aforementioned persons as there are various universities with thousands of employees and they cannot know about each one of them.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2015.