Clarifying matters: KU dept head quits, cites ‘academic reasons’

Newspaper reports said she was leaving in protest against assault on family member.

KARACHI:

Dr Rafia Taj, the chairperson of the University of Karachi’s department of Mass Communication, has clarified that she had asked the vice chancellor to relieve her of her position. She was not leaving because of an alleged assault on a family member as stated in certain sections of the press.

She needs time for her post-doctorate proposal. “I need time off because I have to prepare my doctorate proposal,” she told The Express Tribune on Sunday. “The semester is over and this is the right time to prepare.”

A newspaper website had published that Taj had resigned “in protest against the apathy shown by the KU administration, following an attack on a family member at the university premises.”

Dr Taj refuted this claim and said that she was “surprised” at the news report. “I have no idea of such an incident and why such a thing was published.”

She also clarified that she had to resign and not just take leave because travel would be involved and she would not be able to handle the responsibilities of the department.

According to officials, former department chairman Prof. Tahir Masood will be taking her place. Dr Taj’s resignation has been accepted, they add.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2011.

Correction: May 16, 2011

Due to an editing error, an earlier headline of this article misspelt clarifying. It has now been corrected.