Public university funds VC’s foreign trip with ex-minister

KARACHI: A public sector university paid the travel expenses of the foreign trips of the former minister Universities and Boards (B&U) and its vice-chancellor and for inviting two foreign archaeologists to a varsity seminar.

The payment claims by the university have been strongly denied by the “alleged beneficiaries” raising questions marks over such claims amidst calls for a probe.

According to official records, available with The News, in March 2023 both the VC of the Shaheed Benazir University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (SBUVAS), Sakrand, Dr Muhammad Farooq Hassan, and former Minister of the Universities and Boards (B&U) department Muhammad Ismail Rahoo visited the US and their travel expenses worth Rs 1.361 million were borne by the University. The amount was paid to a travel agency in Karachi from the official bank account of SBUVAS through its Sindh Bank account.

Besides, the university also charged air tickets of Rs.7 lacs 90 thousand for two French archaeologists David Sarmiento Castillo and Pascal Mongne who were invited from France to attend a seminar held at University in March 2023. Interestingly both archaeologists insisted that their visit to Sakrand was paid for by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This reporter approached the Vice-Chancellor of the University Dr. Farooq and asked in detail about the issue. He replied that he had constituted a probe committee on both issues. They would be dealt with by law and if anyone was found involved in any wrongdoing they would be proceeded against in line with the established law.

On the other hand, the former Minister of Universities and Boards Ismail Rahoo told ‘The News’ that the Veterinary Council of America had invited him for the visit but ‘he had paid for the ticket and the boarding and lodging all by himself. He said if the University management claims to have paid for the tickets and other expenses they must be investigated. Rahoo said he bore his tour expenses and stayed in the US on his own and did not charge a single rupee from the government.

Similarly, the French archaeologists in their letter to the Sindh government said that the Benazir Veterinary University, Sakrand invited them to a seminar. Later they found out that the university had claimed to have paid for their travelling expenses. They further mentioned that the French archaeological mission has been conducting research in the Indus Basin at Chanhu-jo-daro, Taluka Sakrand, district Shaheed Benazirabad in cooperation with the Government of Sindh. They have been visiting Sakrand from January to March of 2015 every year with the support of the French government, they maintained.

They said that it has come to their knowledge that ‘Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences’ issued a payment to Sambara Travel Tours, Karachi, on their behalf for the ‘Health Conference’ held on March 1,2, 2023. Both Pascal Mongne and David Sarmiento Castillo maintained they came to Karachi on January 17 and 27, 2023 respectively to undertake archaeological fieldwork in Sakrand. Therefore when they were invited to the opening ceremony of this conference both were already in the Shaheed Benazirabad and their tickets were funded and purchased by the budget granted by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

They said that the French government had signed an MOU with ‘Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences’, Sakrand in 2020 and provided internships to SBBUVAS students. They raised the alarm that any unfaithful use of our names for unethical financial practices puts at risk this cooperation. Furthermore, it stains our reputation and that of the local community supporters of this project.