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Thursday March 28, 2024

VC Gomal University quits amid show-cause notice

By Yousaf Ali
April 03, 2021

PESHAWAR: Preempting possible action against him, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iftikhar Ahmad tendered resignation on Friday.

His resignation letter was largely shared on social media before reaching the department concerned.In a letter to chancellor/governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Vice-Chancellor Dr Iftikhar Ahmad stated: “It is humbly submitted that I was appointed as vice-chancellor Gomal University DI Khan on March 6, 2020.

Now due to my personal issues I would be unable to serve/continue as vice-chancellor. Therefore, Iwill be thankful if you could kindly accept my resignation.”However, reliable sources told The News that the Higher Education Department has yet to formally receive the letter, though it has been widely shared on social media. In a telephonic conversation with reporters, Dr Iftikhar Ahmad confirmed that he has tendered resignation.

“I have some personal issues, which is why I have resigned. There was no pressure on me. But I don’t want to have any confrontation with the provincial government. Therefore, I am resigning as vice-chancellor,” he said. However, the sources said that the provincial government had already served a show-cause notice on him for writing a letter directly to the prime minister in violation of the laid down rules.

He failed to submit a reply within the stipulated time and thus a summary for his removal from the office of vice-chancellor had been moved.“In this situation, I think his resignation would not be accepted rather he would be penalised.

He possibly came to know about the likely action against him and therefore he might have tendered resignation to avert any embarrassment,” a well-placed source told The News.The issue started when he opposed a provincial cabinet directive asking him to hand over land, faculty and assets to the Agriculture University,Dera Ismail Khan.

The provincial government had upgraded the faculty of agriculture, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan to become a full-fledged university.Vice-chancellor for the new university had also been appointed along with the appointment of Dr Iftikhar Ahmad.

However, after taking over as vice-chancellor Dr Iftikhar Ahmad refused to hand over the land, faculty and assets to the new university. The matter was taken up by the provincial cabinet in its recent meeting and it issued strict directives to the university to hand over 1,000-kanal land to the new university along with the required faculty.

For allocation of assets a commission under the commissioner Dera Ismail Khan was formed as well.But instead of complying with the decision of the provincial cabinet, Dr Iftikhar Ahmad wrote directly to Prime Minister Imran Khan ignoring his immediate bosses in violation of the laid down rules.

He had appealed to the prime minister to directly intervene into the matter and stop dividing Gomal University. The letter caused anger among the quarters concerned. A show-cause notice was issued to him asking him to submit a written explanation or face disciplinary action.

The vice-chancellor, according to sources, failed to submit any reply. However, he shared a three-page reply on social media along with his resignation.

Some reports suggested that Governor Shah Farman wanted to send the vice-chancellor on forced leave, but Chief Minister Mahmood Khan was interested in saving him. Dr Iftikhar Ahmad, who also served as vice-chancellor of Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, also faced accusations of submitting fake experience certificates for getting the prized positions. His eligibility for these and other positions was also questioned as the issue was raised on the Prime Minister’s Citizen Portal.

Hailing from Matta in Swat, the native town of the chief minister, Dr Iftikhar Ahmad and his two brothers Dr Habib Ahmad and Dr Rasheed Ahmad have proved very influential and all three managed to get appointed as vice-chancellors despite having issues with their qualification and eligibility. Dr Habib Ahmad, who has two third divisions in his academic career, served as vice-chancellor of two leading universities of the province –Islamia College University, Peshawar and Hazara University, Mansehra.

Meanwhile, one group of faculty and other employees at the Gomal University expressed satisfaction over his resignation as he was facing eligibility issues and had violated discipline by writing directly to the prime minister against the KP government decision about the Agriculture University.The local elected representatives, particularly Faisal Amin Gandapur, had made efforts to get the agriculture faculty of the university upgraded to a university. Another group of faculty and other employees gathered at the house of Vice-Chancellor Dr Iftikhar Ahmad to express solidarity with him and reject his resignation. They took him to his office in the university and raised slogans in his favour. The critics termed it an unlawful assembly held in violation of disciplinary rules and Covid-19 standard operating procedures.