Sorry state of affairs: PU staff divided over supporting VC

Express frustration over a press release favouring Dr Zafar Mueen

LAHORE: Punjab University Academic Staff Association (ASA) and Senate have shown their opposition to a press release published in several newspapers in support of provisional vice-chancellor Dr Zafar Mueen Nasir.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, PU ASA Treasurer and Senate member Dr Azhar Naeem, Dr Muhammad Ayub Afridi, Chaudhry Naeemullah Khan and several others said they were not taken into confidence before the ‘baseless’ press release was issued.

“The ASA representatives, supporting the provisional administration, had cases of corruption and fraud against them and were actually supporting their own vested interests,” the ASA stressed.

The teachers said the provisional set up caused serious problems over the past four months. The association added the vice chancellor had to withdraw a lot of his orders, which was an embarrassment.

They added the administration, in cahoots with certain elements, terminated the contracts of 43 internationally-acclaimed retired professors and appointed a “corrupt” individual as director of the department of geology.

“All these orders were withdrawn only because decisions were taken against merit and this attracted huge criticism nationwide.”

According to ASA representatives, teachers, students and employees had witnessed rise of Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) for the first time in nine years. They alleged the student body gained strength thanks to the “open support” of the administration.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2017.