PHOTO: FILE
The irregularities were revealed in a special audit report pertaining to the foreign faculty programme offered by the university. Sources revealed that the administration of GCU has not furnished the records so far. NAB had issued notices to the administration on August 19, August 23 and December 4. As per the records obtained by NAB in this regard, a department of GCU has reported embezzlement of funds in millions of rupees.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC), a watchdog for higher education in Pakistan, released Rs640 million for the 'Foreign Faculty Programme' to Abdul Salam School of Mathematical Sciences (ASSMS) at the varsity, one of the older education establishments of Pakistan that had been in operation for over 100 years.
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Under this programme, the students were to be educated according to modern needs with the help of renowned national and foreign teachers. However, the foreign teachers did not come to Pakistan and they were paid salaries on which an inquiry was conducted, according to an HEC report based on the departmental investigation of ASSMS. As per the report, the former administration had embezzled the funds allocated for the program by HEC.
The report was prepared by a three-member team. However, no action was taken against those involved in corruption even after the release of the report.
The report states that HEC's Foreign Faculty Hiring Programme (FFHP), which lasted from 2003 to 2013, was aimed to recruit foreign teachers in Pakistani institutions to enhance the capacity of students in Pakistan.
The HEC provided nearly Rs638 million for the salaries of teachers recruited from December 15, 2003, to June 30, 2013. During the investigation, it was revealed that there was no record for the salaries paid to foreign teachers.
When students were asked about foreign teachers, they said that many teachers did not show up in classes regularly. When the 58 foreign teachers were contacted, several revealed through documentary evidence that they were not paid to the extent of salaries as stated by the university administration.
As per the report, the inquiry team had sent emails to the university department’s former director-general Dr Allah Ditta Raza Chaudhry and former director finance Ejaz Malik, in whose tenure the teachers were recruited and paid. However, the emails were not responded. The two officers had left the institute in 2014.
The programme was started by HEC in 2003 and the grant was issued to 41 government educational institutions across Pakistan including GC University Lahore.
The programmes facilitated the institutions to recruit expert foreign researchers and teachers on a contract basis.
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The GCU’s Abdul Salam School of Mathematical Sciences was paid about Rs638 million (about $70 million) for salary and air travel expenses of these teachers.
The documents contained in the research report indicate that despite having spent only a few months in Pakistan, regular salaries have been issued to the foreign teachers by changing their job tenure to several years. The foreign teachers were recruited from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Romania and other countries.
GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Asghar Zaidi said the matter was being investigated by the administration and he would keep the HEC and the NAB informed of all the proceedings. “We will furnish the record sought by HEC and NAB and all action will be taken per the law,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2019.
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