Pro-VC group bags three seats out of four g Teachers close to VC campaigned for pro-JI candidates; Faculty member says it is success of those teachers and students who struggled to finish ‘black period of JI’The Punjab University (PU) Teachers Front (TF) broke the decades-long hegemony of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Thursday by defeating the JI-backed Academic Group in the syndicate elections, which according to teachers marks an end to the black period of “Mansoora politics” at PU.
The PU VC’s favourite teachers, who were illegally rewarded by the VC in the past, changed their affiliation with the VC and tried their best to defeat the TF in the elections, but failed, as varsity teachers rejected them. Although pro-JI groups, by force, cast their votes in the election, the TF won all important three seats, including the main seat of professor and also grabbed the seats of assistant professor and lecturer while only one seat of associate professor was won by the pro-JI Academic Group.
TF leader Dr Shaukat Ali said that they will start a new period of light and knowledge at the PU and promote merit and research culture and play their role in eradicating corruption and extremism from the university. A revolution started at the PU on Thursday when for the first time in history, a group other than the pro-JI teachers, who were ruling the varsity by having the power of representation in the syndicate, won the polls. The syndicate is the most supreme body of the PU which has the power of decision making and due to their hegemony in the syndicate; pro-JI teachers inducted pro-JI and pro-IJT activists at the varsity and stopped any action against them by opposing it in the syndicate.
Thursday’s polling started at the PU IER Department where important faculty members including PU Geography Department Chairman Haji Abdul Ghaffar, PU IER Director Hafiz Iqbal and PU Hall Council Chairman Dr Amin Athar were urging teachers to cast votes against the TF, which was a pro-VC group. During the polling, pro-JI teachers used their power several times and a clash erupted when PU Geology Department Director Dr Naseer Ahmed tried to force his subordinate Assistant Professor Mahmood Ali Shah to cast his vote in favour of the pro-JI candidate. The clash ended after senior teachers interfered.
According to a PU teacher, it was a big occasion that pro-JI candidates were defeated despite the fact that they considered the varsity as their own property. He said that it is the success of all those teachers and students who struggled for many years to finish the “black period of the JI”. The faculty member said that it was a lesson for the JI and IJT, which torture students and teachers. He said that the teachers’ community has rejected these people proving that they hate the so-called religious agenda of the JI. On of the VC’s favourites, Hafiz Iqbal, especially came from the US to cast his vote against the pro-VC group.
Around 517 PU teachers participated in the polling for four seats. PU teachers were seen celebrating the victory of the TF and according to them, the menace of extremism will be finished from the varsity. A pro-JI teacher said that they ruled for decades at the varsity but today they were defeated due to the “wrong doings” of their elders. He said that the main reason for their defeat was a compromise with opportunists including Haji Ghaffar and Amin Athar. The pro-JI teacher said that best candidates from their group including Dr Haris Rashid, Mumtaz Anwar and Rana Majid were contesting the elections but the opportunists were the main reason for the defeat.
Dr Shaukat said that being a member of the syndicate he will oppose revengeful politics but condemn corrupt elements. He said that the university is a property of the nation but it was a tragedy that it was in the grip of those people who thought that they were “all in all” but now the varsity was a public property. Shaukat said that universities around the world are focusing on research and he will play his role in improving research activities with the help of PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran who wants to improve the status of PU. Shumaila Gull said that she will always work for welfare of the teachers’ community.
Results: for the seat of professor, Dr Shaukat Ali defeated Dr Haris Rashid by securing 37 votes against Haris’ 21. Another candidate Dr Zaid got 16 votes. For the seat of associate professor, pro-JI teacher Dr Asmatullah won with 21 votes against TF’s Ziaullah’s 16 votes and Nazir Ahmed’s 4. TF’s Javid Sami bagged the assistant professor slot by securing 93 votes against AG’s Mumtaz Anwar’s 59 votes and AF’s Iftikhar Tarar’a 19. For the seat of lecturer, TF’s Shumaila Gull defeated AG’s Rana Majid by bagging 92 votes against Majid’s 80.