University of Karachi (KU) Department of Islamic Learning Chairwoman Prof Dr Rehana Firdous Jamal has rehired her blue-eyed visiting faculty members for the second semester of academic year 2011 without prior approval of other senior teachers of the department as well as without a test or an interview, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Sources said that according to varsity rules, in case of a shortage of teachers, advertisements for appointment of the visiting faculty must be published, and rehiring teachers with consultation of the permanent faculty of the department is mandatory; however, Jamal has violated these rules.
Faculty of Arts Dean Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal had initially approved the rehiring, but when he was informed that it was an illegal process, he approached Academic Affairs Pro-Vice Chancellor Shahana Urooj Kazmi for cancelling the rehiring, following which Registrar Kaleem Raza Khan cancelled the rehiring on Kazmi’s request, the sources added.
They said that in an application to Khan, a senior teacher of the Islamic Learning department had raised an objection over the illegal rehiring of the visiting faculty without his approval. The teacher stated that Jamal had rehired her blue-eyed teachers as the visiting faculty without his consultation, they added.
Sources said that according to the application, Jamal had introduced a system of test and interview in 2009 for hiring visiting faculty, but just before the end of her term as the chairwoman of the department and her retirement, she has violated university laws.
On the other hand, Jamal said that the senior teacher was invited for consultation several times, but he always refused to attend the meetings. In the absence of the said teacher, she consulted the next senior teacher Dr Zahid Ali Zahidi for rehiring, Jamal added.
