Dr Umar Farooq’s case: Promotion as professor against rules: HEC

Says research paper that served as basis for promotion was published after deadline

KARACHI: Higher Education Commission (HEC) has held that appointment of Dow University of Health Sciences’ (DUHS) Prof Dr Umar Farooq as meritorious professor in grade-22 was in violation of rules and regulations as the research paper that served as basis for his promotion was published after deadline.

The HEC said the DUHS does not have the right to give concession to the candidate against the rules of the HEC. This was disclosed in the HEC letter to the university dispatched on November 30, 2015 after which the matter was forwarded to the university syndicate for withdrawal of his professorship.

The letter reads that the research paper on the basis of which Dr Farooq was declared qualified for the promotion was published in August 2013 while the deadline for the submission of application for the post was June 12, 2013, hence the paper cannot be considered for promotion.

This fact had also come to the fore after investigations by the university’s fact finding committee, which disclosed that Dr Farooq also plagiarised the paper in a bid to get grade 22.

The fact finding committee was headed by Justice (retd) Ghouse Muhammad, while other members included former Khairpur University’s Vice Chancellor Prof Neelofar Sheikh, Prof Karimullah Makki, Dow University Dean Basic Sciences Prof Talat Mirza and Prof Ghaffar Billo.

The committee invited Dr Farooq twice to appear and explain his position but he never turned up nor offered any defence to the allegations leveled against him. The committee later finalised its report and dispatched it to the Sindh governor, chief minister, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and the HEC.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2016.