Bahauddin Zakariya University: Inquiry launched into vice chancellor graft charges
Prof Zafarullah is seeking another four-year term as vice chancellor.
LAHORE:
The Chief Minister’s Inspection Team (CMIT) has started an inquiry into corruption allegations against Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) vice chancellor Professor Muhammad Zafarullah, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Gen (r) Ziauddin, former chairman of the CMIT, said he had appointed CMIT member Anwar Hussain, who usually investigates education matters, to lead the inquiry last week. He said that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was “very interested” in the results of the investigation.
Ziauddin was forced to resign from the CMIT on Wednesday, in compliance with Supreme Court orders that the provincial government’s rehiring of retired officers was illegal.
According to Higher Education Department records, the department asked the chief minister to instruct the CMIT to investigate Prof Zafarullah in December 2010. An official said that the department was unable to initiate action against the vice chancellor under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act 2006 because the BZU chancellor the late Salmaan Taseer – was not keen on it. He added that Prof Zafarullah was close to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
He said Prof Zafarullah’s four-year tenure as vice chancellor ended on January 26, but he was granted a three-month extension so a suitable replacement could be found.
The Higher Education Department began advertising for applications for the post of BZU vice chancellor in January and received dozens of applications, including one from Prof Zafarullah. The deadline for applications was February 4.
The Higher Education Department official said that the prime minister had pushed the chief minister to grant Prof Zafarullah another four years, but the chief minister had refused because of the corruption allegations.
The allegations pertain to the recruitment of some 400 administrative officers. The department official said the appointments were illegal and the officers were incompetent.
Prof Zafrullah is also accused of embezzlement in the award of a Rs30.5 million ground leveling contract. Another charge is that he embezzled university funds meant for a project to plant grass in three grounds. He is alleged to have transferred Rs800 million from BZU funds to a private account in his name and collected interest on it for four years.
The vice chancellor appointed Zafar Haider Gilani as principal of the Multan College of Fine Arts, though Gilani was ineligible for the post because he had a second division in his degree.
The CMIT has access to evidence in the form of statements by BZU Treasurer Muhammad Younis and bank statements purported to show suspicious transactions worth millions of rupees.
The charges against the vice chancellor compelled university employees to launch a ‘Corruption Mukao Tehreek’ [End corruption movement] on campus.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2011.
The Chief Minister’s Inspection Team (CMIT) has started an inquiry into corruption allegations against Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) vice chancellor Professor Muhammad Zafarullah, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Gen (r) Ziauddin, former chairman of the CMIT, said he had appointed CMIT member Anwar Hussain, who usually investigates education matters, to lead the inquiry last week. He said that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was “very interested” in the results of the investigation.
Ziauddin was forced to resign from the CMIT on Wednesday, in compliance with Supreme Court orders that the provincial government’s rehiring of retired officers was illegal.
According to Higher Education Department records, the department asked the chief minister to instruct the CMIT to investigate Prof Zafarullah in December 2010. An official said that the department was unable to initiate action against the vice chancellor under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act 2006 because the BZU chancellor the late Salmaan Taseer – was not keen on it. He added that Prof Zafarullah was close to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
He said Prof Zafarullah’s four-year tenure as vice chancellor ended on January 26, but he was granted a three-month extension so a suitable replacement could be found.
The Higher Education Department began advertising for applications for the post of BZU vice chancellor in January and received dozens of applications, including one from Prof Zafarullah. The deadline for applications was February 4.
The Higher Education Department official said that the prime minister had pushed the chief minister to grant Prof Zafarullah another four years, but the chief minister had refused because of the corruption allegations.
The allegations pertain to the recruitment of some 400 administrative officers. The department official said the appointments were illegal and the officers were incompetent.
Prof Zafrullah is also accused of embezzlement in the award of a Rs30.5 million ground leveling contract. Another charge is that he embezzled university funds meant for a project to plant grass in three grounds. He is alleged to have transferred Rs800 million from BZU funds to a private account in his name and collected interest on it for four years.
The vice chancellor appointed Zafar Haider Gilani as principal of the Multan College of Fine Arts, though Gilani was ineligible for the post because he had a second division in his degree.
The CMIT has access to evidence in the form of statements by BZU Treasurer Muhammad Younis and bank statements purported to show suspicious transactions worth millions of rupees.
The charges against the vice chancellor compelled university employees to launch a ‘Corruption Mukao Tehreek’ [End corruption movement] on campus.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2011.