ISLAMABAD:
The miseries of students of Federal Urdu University of Arts Sciences and Technology (FUUAST) are increasing due to the tug of war between the Islamabad and Karachi campus administrations.
The recent spat over graft allegations has taken a heavy toll on students as the accused staffers — most of whom were suspended — and their ‘well-wishers’ kept the pot simmering by holding sit-ins every day for the last two months.
Worst off are students of the engineering department, as the campus has yet to get accredited with the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC). The PEC recognises universities with engineering departments by inspecting laboratories, checking for availability of appropriate space and other prerequisites including availability of equipment.
The last PEC check was in 2010. Since then, there has been silence over the next visit. In the 2010 check, the PEC inspection team directed the varsity to clear the parking lot inside the cramped premises, and increase laboratory space.
Students of the four-year programme were optimistic, with the level of optimism increasing among first and second year students.
But the picture on the other side is not rosy, as senior students and teachers from the department said the management has yet to act on the PEC’s advice.
“We do not know whether we will be able to get accreditation as the campus in charge and head of department are also not giving satisfactory answers,” said a student of the department on the condition of anonymity.
The varsity building in Sector G-7 costs Rs25 million per annum in rent, while other charges bring building costs to Rs 30 million per annum.
The cramped building has compartmentalised classes and offices. Student also took to streets last summer when the unavailability of power generators led to suffocating environments in the classrooms during load shedding.
The varsity purchased 80 kanals near Chak Shahzad some three years ago, but due to internal wrangling, the management in Karachi balked at developing it.
Meanwhile, a house was recently rented in sector E-11 for which Rs385,000 was paid as rent for just the months of October and November. Campus sources revealed that the building is used as a rest house by senior staff visiting from Karachi.
To evade criticism, the management shifted the examination department to that sector early last week. However, no public or varsity transport facility is available for students wishing to go there.
After witnessing the mess on campus and the lack of effort to address problems from the top administration, the President of Pakistan, as chancellor of all federally-chartered public varsities, asked the university senate to meet him on Saturday (today).
Earlier this year, he had directed the HEC to formulate a probe body to investigate corruption charges against the vice chancellor, but the varsity challenged its legality and the case is pending with the Sindh High Court.
The varsity also has several other issues including improprieties in the contracts and recruitment of employees.
The Auditor General of Pakistan report for 2013-14 revealed that current campus in-charge Abdur Razzaq Memon was ‘irregularly’ appointed as a professor in 2011-13 without advertising the post and his salary was set at Rs300,000 without consultation from the Finance Division.
Memon and VC Zafar Iqbal did not respond when approached for comment.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2014.
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