PU teachers divided over VC’s appointment
One group demands former VC Dr Mujahid’s exclusion from selection process.
Punjab University campus. PHOTO: FACEBOOK PAGE
LAHORE:
Punjab University’s academics are divided over the appointment of a new vice-chancellor at the university, which is expected to be announced by the Punjab chief minister in the upcoming weeks. One group of teachers is demanding that former vice chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran should be reappointed, while another is demanding that Acting Vice-Chancellor Dr Zafar Mueen Nasir be made the permanent VC.
In a joint press statement issued on Saturday, PU Academic Staff Association (ASA) Treasurer Dr Azhar Naeem, executive members Naeemullah Khan and Dr Ayub Afridi, and members of the PU Senate including Dr Kamran Abid, Dr Abdul Qayyum, and others insisted that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif should appoint Dr Mujahid Kamran as vice-chancellor to restore order and academic culture on campus since he has vast administrative experience and tops the list of three candidates.
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They said that after the appointment of Dr Nasir, university affairs had run amok because of administrative failures. They added that the university had stopped progressing academically because of poor policies and practices adopted by Dr Nasir.
Dr Nasir had withdrawn several “unwise and illegal office orders” in five months, which was unprecedented in 135 years of history of the university, after facing strong criticism and even protests, they said.
They added that Dr Nasir was not capable of running Punjab University and the administration of Pakistan’s oldest seat of learning must be handed over to a person with greater administrative experience.
The corrupt mafia in the ranks of teachers was against the appointment of Dr Kamran, who is the top choice on merit, they said, adding that the chief minister must appoint a competent person as a VC. They said that teachers, employees and students witnessed a peaceful atmosphere under the leadership of Dr Kamran.
For the first time in the history of Pakistan’s oldest seat of higher learning, teachers, students and employees had witnessed closure of varsity gates because of security situations, they said, adding that because of the sorry state of affairs, three registrars, three additional registrars and three resident officers had been replaced so far in just four months because of the VC’s lack of understanding of university affairs.
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They said that for the first time, police was deployed at the university for more than one month because of the VC’s failure to handle the situation. They also accused the VC of supporting Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT), because of which its activities of vandalism had increased on campus, they claimed while adding that teachers and students felt fearful on campus.
But other members of the ASA, syndicate and senate, including ASA president and member syndicate Javed Sami and ASA Secretary Iftikhar Ahmed Tarar presided over a meeting to show their deep concern and resentment over the possible inclusion of the name of Dr Kamran among vice-chancellors’ interviewees.
They said that the teachers’ community was upset because of this and demanded that Dr Kamran should not be the part of any process reinitiated for the selection of a vice chancellor. They said Dr Kamran was not acceptable to the community because of his highly controversial past as he was involved in teachers’ victimisation, harassment, undue delays in holding selection boards, nepotism – specifically the illegal promotion of his wife to the rank of professor – and the issuance of fake degrees and illegal appointments.
Moreover, they said that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had already initiated an inquiry against Dr Kamran for corrupt practices and embezzlement from university funds during his two tenures as vice chancellor.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2017.
Punjab University’s academics are divided over the appointment of a new vice-chancellor at the university, which is expected to be announced by the Punjab chief minister in the upcoming weeks. One group of teachers is demanding that former vice chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran should be reappointed, while another is demanding that Acting Vice-Chancellor Dr Zafar Mueen Nasir be made the permanent VC.
In a joint press statement issued on Saturday, PU Academic Staff Association (ASA) Treasurer Dr Azhar Naeem, executive members Naeemullah Khan and Dr Ayub Afridi, and members of the PU Senate including Dr Kamran Abid, Dr Abdul Qayyum, and others insisted that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif should appoint Dr Mujahid Kamran as vice-chancellor to restore order and academic culture on campus since he has vast administrative experience and tops the list of three candidates.
Punjab University restricts media coverage after clash
They said that after the appointment of Dr Nasir, university affairs had run amok because of administrative failures. They added that the university had stopped progressing academically because of poor policies and practices adopted by Dr Nasir.
Dr Nasir had withdrawn several “unwise and illegal office orders” in five months, which was unprecedented in 135 years of history of the university, after facing strong criticism and even protests, they said.
They added that Dr Nasir was not capable of running Punjab University and the administration of Pakistan’s oldest seat of learning must be handed over to a person with greater administrative experience.
The corrupt mafia in the ranks of teachers was against the appointment of Dr Kamran, who is the top choice on merit, they said, adding that the chief minister must appoint a competent person as a VC. They said that teachers, employees and students witnessed a peaceful atmosphere under the leadership of Dr Kamran.
For the first time in the history of Pakistan’s oldest seat of higher learning, teachers, students and employees had witnessed closure of varsity gates because of security situations, they said, adding that because of the sorry state of affairs, three registrars, three additional registrars and three resident officers had been replaced so far in just four months because of the VC’s lack of understanding of university affairs.
Churning out medics: Punjab University to set up medical college
They said that for the first time, police was deployed at the university for more than one month because of the VC’s failure to handle the situation. They also accused the VC of supporting Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT), because of which its activities of vandalism had increased on campus, they claimed while adding that teachers and students felt fearful on campus.
But other members of the ASA, syndicate and senate, including ASA president and member syndicate Javed Sami and ASA Secretary Iftikhar Ahmed Tarar presided over a meeting to show their deep concern and resentment over the possible inclusion of the name of Dr Kamran among vice-chancellors’ interviewees.
They said that the teachers’ community was upset because of this and demanded that Dr Kamran should not be the part of any process reinitiated for the selection of a vice chancellor. They said Dr Kamran was not acceptable to the community because of his highly controversial past as he was involved in teachers’ victimisation, harassment, undue delays in holding selection boards, nepotism – specifically the illegal promotion of his wife to the rank of professor – and the issuance of fake degrees and illegal appointments.
Moreover, they said that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had already initiated an inquiry against Dr Kamran for corrupt practices and embezzlement from university funds during his two tenures as vice chancellor.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2017.