Hazara University stands conspicuous over violating Supreme Court order on re-employing teachers post retirement, The Express Tribune learnt here on Thursday.
The university’s Academic Staff Association General Secretary Amanullah Baloch alleged that 24 people past the age of retirement are still serving at the university including the registrar, controller, provost and heads of departments.
Baloch said that in compliance with Supreme Court orders, all other universities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had removed majority of their staff over 60 years of age.
He said, however, that at Hazara University the administration used different tactics to protect its employees wanting to work after retirement. When the apex court issued orders not to extend contracts of the senior faculty members, the vice-chancellor hired them as consultants.
“A consultant cannot occupy a position like head of the department, dean or registrar,” he said, adding “It is a breach of law to dodge the Higher Education Commission, governor and Supreme Court of Pakistan.”
The association’s president Sultan Muhammad said that in its first general body meeting, it was unanimously demanded that the vice-chancellor remove people working unlawfully and let younger teachers take over.
Currently, Rs4 million is spent every month on employees who are working as consultants and occupying positions that permanent faculty members deserve, said Khan.
Recently, 16 people returned to the university after completing their PhDs, but they were only hired as lecturers and not promoted.
Peshawar High Court Bar Association General Secretary Qazi Jawad said that in 2011 the Supreme Court ordered that after government servants retire, no public institution can re-employ them.
Hazara University Vice- Chancellor Syed Sakhawat Shah said that they had complied with the orders of the court and the staff in question had been hired after a meeting of the university’s Syndicate and Senate. He said that due to a lack of experts and PhD Scholars senior members had to be hired.
He added that they wanted younger people to come on board and become an active part of universities, but experienced teachers were necessary.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2012.
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