Selection of IIU rector on merit demanded

Islamabad : Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA) has demanded the appointment of new President International Islamic University (IIU) through open competitive process of a search committee.

In a statement, Dr Sohail Yousaf, President FAPUASA, welcomed the resignation of Dr Ahmed Yousaf al-Darweish, President IIU. Dr Sohail said that the reputation of IIU was badly damaged due to mismanagement and mishandling of financial, administrative and academic affairs in the past few years. He regretted that teachers were victimised at large on raising their voices against maladministration.

Dr Sohail said that the appointment of IIu president should be on merit through open competitive process. The illegal and closed-door appointments may not pay any dividend to IIU and higher education in Pakistan. The HEC has already established the criteria for short-listing the candidates for appointments at top positions, which should be used for the appointment of IIU president, Dr Sohail added.

He also demanded immediate restoration of the illegally terminated faculty members.

The FAPUASA chief regretted that faculty members who published appreciable number of research papers in journals with impact factors and won the competitive research grants of multi-million rupees were terminated after 10 years of service only because the blue-eyed dean delayed the administrative process. They were deprived from their fundamental right of appeal as the same are still pending before Board of Governors for more than one year.

In addition to appointment of new president IIU on merit, Dr Sohail demanded independent academic, administrative and financial audit of past eight years of IIU also.