LAHORE – Punjab University (PU) teachers condemned PU Hall Council Chairman Dr Amin Ather for ‘using his influence’ to get a new Honda City car when the varsity’s administration had opposed the car purchase, terming it a burden on the varsity and against the rules. PU teachers said that Dr Ather, who has a close association with Tanzeem Asataza, a Jamat-e-Islami (JI) group, was enjoying luxuries by violating one-man-one-post policy and already had three vehicles. A PU administrative official said that Dr Ather knew about financial corruption by a few officials in the varsity administration, and he was blackmailing the administration for getting this car.
Although the Higher Education Commission (HEC) is suffering owing to the shortage of funds and also protested last year against the government for not issuing grants, Dr Ather is enjoying luxuries.
TREASURER INVOLVED: According to rules, the Hall Council chairman was bound to use from among the vehicles that were in the use of other varsity departments’ directors and chairmen, but Dr Ather got a new one. PU sources allege that Dr Ather used his power and influence and also got involved PU Treasurer Uzma to get the car. They said that usually in government departments, officials used white colour cars but Dr Ather got a red colour car just to give an impression to the teachers that he could do whatever he wanted.
TEACHERS DEMAND AUDIT: A PU source said that teachers were planning to write to the Punjab chief minister to instruct an audit of the Treasury Department and Hall Council. He demanded that the government should replace PU Treasure Uzma with an honest treasurer. He said that there were various issues in the PU Treasury Department and soon PU teachers would disclose how much government money was looted by people like Dr Ather.
OTHER VIOLATIONS: A PU department chairman said that Dr Ather was violating PU VC’s one-man-one-post policy as he assumed the seat of the director of Bio Chemistry and Bio Technology Department and was also a member of PU Employees Housing Society. He said that Dr Ather was an ‘opportunist’ and was notorious for conducting various inquiries against pro-JI teachers. He said that Dr Ather also received Rs 36,000 monthly as house rent while the actual house rent was Rs 6,000.
DR ATHER CLARIFIES: The PU treasurer did not comment on the issue, while Dr Ather claimed that the car allotted to the Hall Council chairman was out of order, therefore a new car was bought. Denying that he was occupying more than one post, he said that the Hall Council chairman was not an official varsity post and there had been various professors in the past who assumed two posts. He claimed that the other car which he possessed was basically a van for his institute.
