Former VC booked over corruption charges

Former vice chancellor (VC) of University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Rana Iqrar Ahmad Khan has been booked over corruption charges by Anti-Corruption Establishment Punjab (ACE) on Monday.

Along with Iqrar, ex-registrar Chaudhry Muhammad Hussain of Agriculture University in lieu of corruption charges of millions of rupees, nepotism, and abuse of power has also been nominated in the case.

The case has been registered with Anti-Corruption Faisalabad. Iqrar illegally hired gazetted and non-gazzeted staff on the basis of nepotism while working continuously as VC for nine long years. He hired 608 individuals through illegal means.

Moreover, 138 among them were gazetted officers while 470 were non-gazetted officers. The former VC violated all the laws during recruitment process including the Constitution of Pakistan, the government of Punjab’s regulations and University act, ACE alleged.

He caused a loss of Rs420 million to the national treasury.

While holding the portfolio of VC, he worked on a dual post as Project Director in a US Aid Project and drew double salary. He received a salary of Rs4.25 million as project director of an NGO and awarded himself 9 million rupees as honorarium without the approval of chancellor. Other financial misconduct of suspects were also under investigation by the authorities.

The employment contract of Iqrar Khan while serving as VC UAF and his appointment as Director Project a USAID program was filled with anomalies.

It read that “in this position (director Project US-Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security –USPCAS-AFS YOU (Iqrar Khan) will report to vice chancellor, UAF/chairman SC (Iqrar Khan).”

In the salary and perks, privilege section it read as “you are appointed as Director/Chief of Party in USPAC-AFS in Grade G-1. Your salary will be Rs600,000 rupees per month gross the annual increment as approved by the competent authority and other applicable fringe benefits, but you will receive a net amount after statutory deduction of tax and other necessary contributions, deductions.”

It violated the salary package for VCs of agriculture universities in Punjab policy of the government.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2020.