KU finance dept struggling to pay arrears

Mismanagement of funds has left instructors fuming, many of whom have been waiting for years for remuneration

KARACHI:

The port city’s most well known public university is no stranger to problems but the mismanagement of its finance department has brought the varsity to the brink.

Recently, Pakistan Post refused to deliver any type of documentation, including diplomas, coming from the University of Karachi, due to non-payment of arrears amounting to Rs 10 million. However, the state owned postal company refusing to work with the varsity is just the tip of the iceberg with regards the way the university’s finance department is being, according to officials associated with the university’s finance department, who spoke to the Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity. The Express Tribune learnt that the varsity’s teachers who assess examination copies have been deprived of their remuneration for the past three to four years, and many have now refused to assess the examination copies.

Furthermore, instructors associated with the evening programme of the University of Karachi, who are classified as visiting faculty, have not been paid their salaries for months now. Moreover, the teaching associates, who are part of the non-permanent teaching staff, have also not been paid.

In this regard, a teaching associate, who works in the Department of International Relations, confided to The Express Tribune under the condition of anonymity, that he had not received his salary since April. “Moreover, I have not been paid for assessing examination copies since 2021,” he further disclosed. “However, I am not alone in this plight. There are others as well and all of us have met several times with the finance department but no one bats an eye,” the teaching associate regretted.

Another instructor, who also spoke under the condition of anonymity, said that he had recently returned examination copies that were given to him for assessment because he had not been paid in months and had no hope of being paid either.

When asked about the disregard for clearing dues owed by the varsity, officials of the finance department, said that the blame lay with the Director of Finance of the university, whose tenure had ended in October of last year, and was now serving as acting Director of Finance. “The acting Director is running this department from his home and does not seem to care about bringing the affairs of the varsity in order,” an official alleged.

The Express Tribune contacted the Director of Finance multiple times to seek his response to the allegations but did not hear back from him. Hence, The Express Tribune contacted the Universities and Boards Secretary Muhammad Mureed Rahimoon about the varsity’s financial mismanagement.

“I have been sending the summary of appointment of a new Director of Finance for University of Karachi to the Chief Minister for the past 3 months, but none has been approved yet,” informed Rahimoon. “However, if the Director of Finance is not working properly, why is the Vice Chancellor is not presenting the matter to the varsity’s syndicate?” the Secretary added.

When pointed out that instructors and those the university had contractual obligations had not been paid, Rahimoon was of the view that such matters had to be taken with a grain of salt. “Have the teachers been marking their attendance? Taking their classes? Doing their research?” quipped Rahimoon while talking to The Express Tribune.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27^th, 2023.