IIUI teacher probed twice for violence appointed HoD

Varsity says post is not promotion and past inquiries do not bar appointment

ISLAMABAD: A teacher, who had been placed under observation for her unruly behaviour towards an intern, has been appointed as the head of a department at the female campus of the International Islamic University in Islamabad.

The teacher, Dr Shaista Shahzada, was twice found to be involved in brawls and was the subject of two inquiries – both of which determined that she was responsible for initiating the ruckus and suggested retribution.

Curiously, the most recent incident in which the teacher was implicated came to light in April earlier this year. An intern, who was working at the Physics department IIUI’s female campus under the National Internship Programme (NIP), had been verbally and physically abused by the teacher for allegedly disobeying her orders.

An inquiry committee constituted by the varsity’s president found that the teacher ‘guilty of serious misconduct of physically beating the internee’.

On recommendations of the committee, and keeping in view her past behaviour, the varsity had decided to “withhold her increment for the year 2017 and also put her under observation for a period of six months to amend her behaviour and working relationship with her colleagues and subordinates”.

The varsity in June 2015 had formed a committee to probe similar allegations of physical assault against two administrative staffers by Dr Shahzada.

Despite the history of violent behaviour, the university has decided to hand her charge of the department for three years. Moreover, they have also promoted her from the post of assistant professor to associate professor.

The university, meanwhile, said that Dr Shahzada has not been promoted and that the charge of head of the department is just a statuary requirement which university has assigned to her owing to her being the senior-most faculty member in the department.

“This responsibility is being mistakenly interpreted as a promotion on your part while past inquiries do not bar the IIUI from appointing her as the department’s head since she is the most senior associate professor in the department,” Syed Hassan Aftab, IIUI spokesperson, told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2017.