LAHORE:An unpleasant situation developed at the Punjab University when the Vice-Chancellor and some elected representatives of the teachers exchanged heated arguments over the varsity’s Syndicate meeting and other issues before the Syndicate meeting started here on Monday.
The PU Academic Staff Association (ASA) alleged that the university administration could not hold the Syndicate meeting as the same was incomplete without representation of six elected members of the PU teachers. They further argued that the administration did not take ASA into confidence for holding the meeting while various legitimate demands of the teachers had not been fulfilled so far.
An ASA member alleged that this infuriated the Vice-Chancellor who categorically refused to listen to their genuine concerns. He further said that the PU administration had earlier issued schedule for Syndicate election against teachers’ seats but later withdrew the same citing COVID-19 situation. He added as opposed to recently held big political elections in different parts of the country, Syndicate elections against teachers’ seats, too small in its nature, were not being held which exposed ill intention of the administration.
However, a PU official said that VC Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar had joined the office after several days as he was unwell and alleged that the teachers allegedly pressurised the administration to restore illegal time scale promotions and not to return illegal incentives worth crores of rupees. He further said that their conduct was unbecoming of the university teachers as they allegedly tried to sabotage promotion of teachers and employees as the same was on the Syndicate agenda.
Meanwhile, Punjab University’s 1742th meeting was held at the committee room of the Vice Chancellor’s office here on Monday. PU Vice Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmed presided over the meeting online while Lahore High Court’s Justice Ameer Bhatti, Justice (retd) Nasira Javed Iqbal, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Saleem Mazhar and other members participated in the meeting.
The meeting took up various degree cases of lawyers and a journalist alleged tampering in record and decided to take assistance of Disciplinary Committee members in the upcoming meeting for final decision on all cases.
The Syndicate approved recommendations of the Selection Board and approved the appointment of 5 professors, 13 associate professors, 4 assistant professors and 4 lecturers. The Syndicate also approved the appointment of 1 deputy controller, 18 admin officers and 2 research officers. The Syndicate also accorded approval to the minutes of its last meeting.
Separately, in a press release PU ASA observed that it was for the first time in the history of Punjab University that a meeting of the Syndicate was held without six selected teachers. The ASA also held an emergent meeting and expressed concerns over Vice Chancellor’s alleged threatening attitude towards teachers who wanted to talk about their real problems. The statement further reads that the PU administration was silent over non-payment of research projects, performance awards and incentive allowances to the teachers.