VC fills administrative positions with teachers

Islamia College University

Step seen as glaring violation of Universities Amendment Act 2016

PESHAWAR: The newly appointed vice-chancellor of Islamia College University (ICU) has made several appointments from the teaching community on key administrative positions that according to the administrative staff is a violation of the recently promulgated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities (Amendment) Act, 2016.

The Federation of All Public Sector Universities Administrative Officers’ Association (FAPSUAOA) expressed resentment over the decision and demanded of the provincial government to ensure implementation of the act in its true spirit. They said some of the vice-chancellors were using delaying tactics in implementing the act in a bid to make it ineffective.

The ICU vice-chancellor recently appointed Prof Ali Mohammad, chairman of the department of zoology as provost. Dr Tauqeer Alam, assistant professor department of political science, was named as registrar. Dr Zahoor Jan, assistant professor computer science, was made director planning and development.

Dr Mohammad Sajjad, assistant professor computer science department, was made director training, a newly created position neither approved by the university’s statutory bodies nor reflected in the university budget.

Dr Naveed Akhtar, assistant professor computer science department, was made internal auditor of the university. Hakeem Khan, assistant professor geography was appointed as coordinator inter-studies.

Daud Zahid, lecturer law was named as deputy registrar establishment. Arbab Safeer, assistant professor physics has been made director Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC).

The office of the controller examination of the university has been held by a teaching faculty member, Assistant Professor Attaullah of computer science department for the last one year. Mohammad Haleem, lecturer computer science department has been serving as assistant controller examinations of the university.

The Universities’ Act in its Section-2 (a-ii) clearly says: “Administrative officer means an officer other than the teaching and research staff, working in the administration of the university in BPS-17 and above, duly appointed by Syndicate.”

The Act in its section (17A) bars the universities from posting of teachers against administrative positions. It says: “All administrative positions in universities shall be filled by the administrative officers of the university on regular basis and in no case teachers and officials other than the administrative officers shall be posted on these positions. In case suitable candidate is not available from amongst the administrative officers, the university shall ensure immediate appointment on such posts in the prescribed manner.”

The vice-chancellor ICU Prof Dr Habib is, however, adamant in terming his decision as correct and not a violation of the Universities’ Act. He aggressively responded to the politely asked queries of this correspondent. Instead of replying to the question, the vice-chancellor asked the reporter, “Speak clearly. What do you mean?”

This reporter repeated the question about appointment of teaching faculty members against administrative positions in ‘violation’ of the Universities’ Act and the vice-chancellor thundered: “You are talking baselessly. We have made no violation of the Act. Show me where we have violated the Act. Goodbye.”

Dr Tauqeer Alam, who has been given additional assignment as registrar of the university, responded decently when asked the same question. He said that actually the Act bars the university administration from posting teaching faculty members against the administrative positions. “It doesn’t prohibit additional assignment to teachers till arrival of regular administrative officers. The recent appointments were actually award of additional assignments not postings,” he argued.

President of Federation of Universities Administrative Staff Association said that they wanted the government to implement the act in letter and spirit. Talking to The News, he said that the very job of teaching faculty was to teach and research. “It was due to their positing against administrative positions that none of the universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could make it to the ten top universities of the country let alone international ranking,” he said.