Kamran Jahangir, the director general of NUML, in a letter addressed to the university’s rector on November 12 reminded him of these irregularities.
The DG in this letter also mentioned his correspondence with other officials on the issue. Referring to one of his previous letters, he said that the Director Regional Services NUML had avoided responding to the matter of appointing BPS-20 officers without advertisements, selection and approval of the Board of Governors. Instead, he replied that the current system of appointments and promotions was being followed since 2000, which “was a good enough reason to continue with the same practice.”
The DG said that such responses demonstrated the value “rules and regulations” held for these officials.
Similarly, Jahangir stated that Additional Director Finance had not responded to any of the seven letters written to him.
In the letter, NUML Rector was also reminded that no audit had been conducted in the regional campuses of the university for the past seven years. He said, “The level of responsibility of financial management can be assessed from the fact that no audit had been conducted in the regional campuses from 2003 to 2010.”
The letter further pointed out the budgetary nonconformities committed by Additional Director Finance, “who does not even hold the requisite experience and qualification for the post” as approved by the BOG. “His handling of finances, which includes foreign currency and fix deposits, is not in order. At best he is maligning your office and senior authorities of the university by processing payments over and above budget allocations,” Jahangir added.
He also mentioned that the regional directors, with the help from senior authorities, were expending millions of unauthorised funds from fee income which “was a very serious irregularity.” The letter said that some of them do not even have the bare minimum qualification and experience for the positions they hold.
He pointed out that the income from student fees shown in the budget did not accurately reflect the actual amount earned. This point has also been highlighted by the National Assembly Standing Committee.
“Huge amounts of money had been kept in a saving scheme without proper approval and process,” Jahangir said. This confirmed the rumours, which had been floating earlier regarding such an act on the part of those managing the university’s financial affairs. He added in his letter that collection of the fee in foreign currency from foreign students in cash and in exchange from open market was also being conducted in an illegal manner. “This is being done at a time when our own government needs foreign exchange resources,” he said.
He requested for the letter to be forwarded to the Chancellor and Pro Chancellor of the university for ordering a special audit followed by an inquiry of the university’s state of affairs since 2000.
“Institutions of higher learning are supposed to follow rules and regulations, and uphold the principle of justice, which was not done here,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 29th, 2010.
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