KU teachers. employees accuse VC of financial irregularities

Allegations include Rs12.2m ERP project cost, inflated fuel bills, unaccounted fee collections

KARACHI:

University of Karachi teachers, officers and employees have announced the continuation of their boycott of examination duties, accusing the university administration of financial mismanagement and negligence toward their concerns.

Addressing a press conference at the Arts Auditorium on Tuesday, Karachi University Teachers' Society President Dr Ghaffran Alam, Secretary General Maroof Bin Rauf, and Employees Welfare Association President Zahid Baloch urged Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to take notice of the situation, saying the administration had failed to resolve employees' issues.

The representatives said teachers had been on strike for a week and alleged that faculty members were being pressured to end the examination boycott. They claimed the university owed nearly Rs1 billion to employees and demanded accountability of all vice chancellors through legal reforms.

They alleged serious financial irregularities, including Rs12.2 million spent on an ERP project that was never launched, inflated fuel expenses, unaccounted fee collections, and unnecessary entertainment expenditures. They also alleged nepotism, claiming that selected individuals were allotted residences and payments on preferential basis, while administrative officials' issues were resolved immediately compared to ordinary teachers whose homes lacked basic maintenance.

They further said the university had been running in deficit for the past seven years, with campus residences in poor condition, broken boundary walls, and overgrown surroundings. They further alleged misuse of official vehicles, including luxury Land Cruisers, excessive fuel consumption, and discrepancies in fuel records, while some vehicles remained non-functional. They also claimed vehicle taxes were not being paid properly.

It was further alleged that Rs10 million had been allocated under the entertainment head, and funds shown for chemicals were not actually provided to teachers in laboratories despite budget allocations.

Speaking on the occasion, Officers Welfare Association President Faisal Hashmi said the vice chancellor had written to the Sindh chief secretary regarding the financial crisis and expressed hope for a positive response from the provincial government.

The associations also alleged that scholarships funded by the Higher Education Commission were not being distributed to students despite receipt of funds, and criticised the administration for failing to protect university land despite heavy legal spending.