NAB asked to probe irregularities at Edwardes College

Former student alleges principal is misusing funds, abusing his position

PESHAWAR: One of the oldest and most prestigious higher education centres in the province has gone in the dock after a former student asked the apex anti-corruption watchdog to take a closer look at its books, alleging embezzlements and irregularities by its incumbent principal.

A former student of the Edwardes College in Peshawar has filed an application with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) claiming irregularities in the college’s finances.

Yousaf Anwar, who retired from the Pakistan International Airline (PIA), requested NAB to order a forensic audit of the college’s accounts from 2014 [when the incumbent college principal Dr Nayar Fardows took over], till date.



The application further states that the college, established in 1900, has produced a number of renowned doctors, engineers, bureaucrats, army officers, sportsmen, actors and politicians but the incumbent principal were violating college’s rules and regulations.

“It was run by foreign principals, mostly British nationals, who served the people and spent their own money for the betterment of the people,” the application read, adding, “They tried their best to save the resources of the college and spend it on renovation of classrooms, academic blocks and faculty.’

Dr Fardows is coincidentally the first Pakistani to be appointed as a principal of the historic college.

“This is unfortunate that instead of giving attention to the college affairs, he made himself and his family as the beneficiary of all resources,” Anwar claimed in his application.

He added that the college has yet to recover from the shock of the massive financial embezzlement unearthed in 2009 but had now allegedly fallen victim to a spendthrift principal who was using the college finances for personal glorification.

Anwar alleged that Dr Fardows has built a motorcade for protocol and purchased seven vehicles using the college’s funds. These vehicles, he claimed, were mostly and some exclusively were being used by the principals’ family and the college was paying for their expenses and maintenance.

“The principal used the college account and a generous grant from the provincial government (worth Rs300million) that is kept in the bank as leverage to compel the bank to induct his son as an officer,” Anwar alleged, adding college car was on disposal of his son along with college driver.

He alleged that the principal has employed his daughter and daughter-in-law in the college and recently his son was also appointed in basic pay scale (BPS) grade 17 with extra allowances. The conditions set out in the advertisement for the post suited only them [his own people] so that other candidates could not qualify.



“Dr Fardows hails from Lahore and most of the time [when his relatives visit Peshawar] stay for long and all the expenses are paid from the college hostel account which is purely student’s money,” Anwar alleged, adding that in order to cover the expenses, the principal admitted more students than their capacity which was creating problems not only in classrooms but also affecting the results of the college.

“You are requested to take serious notice that how the college finance department has given free hand to the principal to spendthrift the college resources,” Anwar requested NAB.