Karachi
Faculty members of the University of Karachi on Wednesday blamed the department of political science’ selection board of partiality for giving undue preference and lobbying for a certain candidate’s promotion in violation of the varsity’s selection rules and regulations.
The management of the university, however, denied the allegation and claimed to have followed the due procedure.
The matter came to light when chairperson of the social work department, Prof Dr Nasreen Aslam Shah, and associate professor of the political science department Dr Samar Sultana interrupted the selection board’s meeting so as to protest against the board members, for lobbying for an out of turn promotion of Dr Nusrat Idrees.
According to the two protesting faculty members, Dr Nusrat had for the first time submitted an application, with the board, seeking to be considered for a promotion in 2004, her application could not, however, be cleared due to various reasons. Her case kept on being referred to the board several times and in 2010 she applied for the selection committee again, they stated.
As per their claims, the varsity’s selection board had been vying to get her a promotion since 2004, which was unfair on other senior faculty members.
The protesting teachers furthermore, stated that she had received negative remarks on her reports from international academicians besides also having violated a number of rules and regulations of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan.
The faculty members, however, said that they would have no objections with her being considered for promotion if her teaching tenure was considered from 2010.
“The case is in court and officials at the Governor House have to submit a report on May 10, when the next hearing is scheduled. Since the matter is sub-judice, it should be taken rationally and not to please wishes of individuals,” Dr Samar stated, also threatening to observe a hunger strike till her demands were not met.
Prof Nasreen on the other hand had for the past three months trying to get the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) involved in the matter. She had also brought the issue to the attention of chairman HEC, provincial chief minister and governor, the university syndicate besides other relevant forums.
Both the faculty members also threatened to set fire to their educational records if the KU administration failed to make a decision on merit.
Dean Faculty of Management and Administrative Sciences and director admissions, Prof Dr Khalid Iraqi while commenting on the matter cited Section-IV of the KU’s Function of Selection Board, which read that in event of an unresolved difference of opinion between the selection board and syndicate, the matter would be referred to the chancellor whose decision would then be considered final.
Dr Iraqi, who is also a member of the KU syndicate, claimed that the matter was a case of misinterpretation. Dr Nusrat’s case was referred to the selection board at a number of occasions owing to which misunderstandings regarding to violation of KU and HEC’s rules and regulations were caused.
He asserted that the varsity’s administration would not go against any laws in any conditions. The matter was referred to the Governor only after a concluding decision could not be taken on it, he added.
A committee was then constituted by Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ebad which submitted a report to the governor; it was, however, later dissolved when Dr Nusrat objected to the committee not approaching her to hear her side of the story out.
The dissolution of the previous committee was then followed by formation of another committee which had shared its recommendation with the Governor; the decision now rested with the VC.
KU VC Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser and Dr Nusrat were not available for comments.
According to sources, the Governor had approved Engr Jabbar Memon’s recommendation suggesting that Dr Nusrat be given a promotion considering her teaching tenure from 2004, while the first committee had called for it to be considered from 2010.
However, for a number of the varsity’s teaching staff the dispute was just a power struggle between two strong teaching groups and its impact would be visible in the next elections of the Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS).