Governor, CM at odds over universities affairs

PESHAWAR: The governor’s letter to the secretary of Higher Education Department expressing concern over sending Swat University’s vice-chancellor on forced leave for the second time on chief minister’s advice and delay in the recruitment process of vice-chancellor has exposed the differences between the chief minister’s secretariat and the governor’s house over the matters pertaining to universities.

The universities in the province have been facing serious problems due to the non-serious attitude of the provincial government and policies of adhocism.

Even now a number of universities are functioning under a caretaker setup. Some of the vice-chancellors have been sent on forced leave. The forced leaves of a few have been set aside by the court.

Two such cases that caused embarrassment to the provincial government are the rejoining of his office by vice-chancellor Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan Dr Iftikhar Ahmad without reinstatement’s notification and the second time forced leave of the vice-chancellor of University of Swat Dr Jamal Khan, which the high court set aside within a few days.

Dr Iftikhar had been sent on forced leave in February this year for three months. The leave was extended for another three months in July. Two days before the completion of the second term of forced leave in September last, the vice-chancellor rejoined his duty without notification for his reinstatement.

Soon after rejoining his office, he withdrew all the decisions about asset distribution between Gomal University and the newly established Agriculture University Dera Ismail Khan despite formal approval by the university’s syndicate.

The vice-chancellor’s acts put the future of the agriculture university in the doldrums. The vice-chancellor took the bold decision allegedly after getting a green signal from the chief minister.

Some reports suggested that the chief minister’s brother Ahmad Khan had played a role in ending the forced leave of the vice-chancellor and enabling him to rejoin his office.

Side by side with the rejoining of his office by the Gomal University’s vice-chancellor, his younger brother Dr Rashid Ahmad was made pro-vice-chancellor of Malakand University.

A couple of days after his appointment as pro-vice-chancellor, the office of vice-chancellor became vacant on completion of his four-year term by Dr Gul Zaman as vice-chancellor Malakand University and thus he occupied the VC office on an acting basis till the arrival of full-time VC.

On October 22, Vice-Chancellor University of Swat Dr Mohammad Jamal Khan was again sent on forced leave till the completion of his tenure in December this year. Dr Aimal had been sent on forced leave for the first time several months ago on the charges of his inefficient performance and alleged irregularities in the university. But he had moved the court, which had set aside the provincial government’s decision.

The government instead of submitting a review petition in the court advised the governor to send him again on forced leave in October. The governor, in line with the chief minister’s advice, sent the vice-chancellor on forced leave again for the remaining period of his tenure - December 18, 2021.

The vice-chancellor moved court against the forced leave once again and the Swat Bench of Peshawar High Court set aside the decision on November 4 and asked the vice-chancellor to resume his office from the next morning.

The governor’s secretariat on Tuesday sent a detailed letter to the secretary Higher Education Department showing his concern over the chief minister’s advice regarding sending Swat University’s vice-chancellor on forced leave and delay in vice-chancellors’ recruitment process.

The letter stated that the summary initiated by the Higher Education Department on October 8, requesting the chief minister to advise the governor for sending Dr Mohammad Jamal Khan, the vice-chancellor University of Swat on forced leave a second time.

The governor had to concur with the advice of the chief minister as the universities act empowers the government/chief minister to make such advice to the governor, the letter stated.

“However, the governor has directed to convey his concerns regarding the inadequacy of appropriate appraisal as to whether the case was duly assessed in the legal sense to send the vice-chancellor on forced leave again on identical grounds,” it added.

It may be recalled that the order of sending the same vice-chancellor on forced leave had earlier been set aside by the court and the grounds on which the vice-chancellor had been sent on forced leave was not appreciated by the court.

“Instead of filing a review petition or an appeal wherein, the court would have been requested to adjudicate on the legality/proprietary of grounds taken by the government for sending the vice-chancellor on the forced leave decided the case on merit. The summary was processed to send the vice-chancellor on forced leave again relying on identical grounds,” it maintained.

Moreover, the concerns of the governor are conveyed that after the expiry of the tenures of incumbent vice-chancellors the universities too often are allowed to be headed by pro-vice-chancellors or assigning additional charge to other vice-chancellors.

This is perhaps due to an inordinate delay in processing the recruitment of vice-chancellors in time. This process may please be expedited, the letter stated