Top academic threatens to commit suicide

LAHORE – Dr Farooq Ahmad, a well-known personality for his contributions in Geology-related satellite technology and climate change around the world, is the only academic with a post-doctorate in Punjab and most qualified person in the subject of Geography in South Asia.
But the internationally-recognised researcher has no money to purchase milk for his little children and threatened to commit suicide because of the cruelty shown by the Punjab University (PU)’s Geography Department’s pro-Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Chairman Dr Abdul Ghaffar who taught a lesson to his subordinate as result of professional biasness.
Dr Farooq, terminated illegally by the varsity’s administration, is even planning to open an easy-load’s shop to secure the future of his kids and a breast cancer patient wife, as he was extremely depressed after Abdul Ghaffar, who has a strong background of JI, stopped the pay of Dr Farooq two years ago and cancelled his all classes last week while announcing that he could deliver lecture.
He also deprived Dr Farooq of his official room and ordered a BS-Honour student to sit in his chair and not allow him to enter into the room.
It is important to mention that the country has only two people with a post-PhD qualification in Geography while Farooq is the only one in Punjab with more research on his credit than any person in South Asia.
He has been awarded the HEC fellowship in year 2008 for a post-doctoral research at the Department of Geography and the University of Sheffield, UK, where he successfully completed the project and rejoined department on July 31st 2009. But he has been forced to stop his five-year-old kid from study because of financial constraints. He was thrown out from the varsity while fearing that he could get the chairmanship of the department.
Dr Farooq, who has published around 50 articles in internationally-recognised research journals, was earlier terminated from the department when he was on official leave for a research work, first by a South Asian. Sources in the PU said the higher officials of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and PU VC know that Dr Farooq is an upright and qualified person but the administration is facing pressure from the JI and the pro-JI Dr Abdul Ghaffar to kick out him from the varsity as he is a danger for his position.
The Geography Department’s students and teaching community demanded the VC to stop the pro-JI chairman from targeting Farooq; otherwise, he would be responsible for the death of the teacher. The Geography Department teachers said the VC had appointed Dr Ghaffar as the chairman and also given him extra favours by passing ‘one man one post’ rule.
Sources said Dr Ghaffar threatened the PU administration that he would launch a campaign against them if they gave any space to Dr Farooq in the department. Dr Farooq while talking with Pakistan Today said he was terminated although he fulfilled all official requirements on July 07, 2010 after which he approached the VC to reinstate him and he placed him again at the department.
But salary was not disbursed because of Dr Ghaffar despite repeated personal requests. A PU senior administrative official said they were unable to intervene because of influence exercised by Dr Ghaffar but they would try to adjust Farooq in any other department. According to a faculty member, Dr Ghaffar is the chairman of PU Housing Society and the administration fears that he can expose their corruption.
Therefore, he is blackmailing the administration on the issue of Dr Farooq. He said the whole teaching community requested Governor Sardar Latif Khosa and CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif to secure the asset of the country and order an inquiry into the matter.