Peshawar University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) demanded that the ANP-led provincial government bring all National Research Centres on the premises of the University of Peshawar into its administration.
“The employees working at the five national research centers shall strike as protest,” Prof Dr Fakhrul Islam said addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Monday. He said the merger would not create a loss since the centers generate their own revenue.
Dr Islam was flanked by Dr Tahir Shah, Dr Naeem, Dr Pervez Tareen, and Dr Irshad Akmal. He said after the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the ministry of educational and other ministries had been devolved to the respective provinces. “The federal government had issued a notification to merge the national research centers into the University of Peshawar,” he said.
“However, the KP government now wants to bring the research centres under its direct control which threatens the future of the centers and PhD scholars,” he said. He said the provincial government had pressurized the administration of the University of Peshawar to withdraw the notification.
He denied that the centres could not meet their expenses or the university could not bear their expenses. He said the centers generate their own revenue.
He said the employees working in all five centres had decided to refuse to work under the provincial government and shall begin protests if the government pressurises them. Senior faculty members said the hand-over of the centers would also mean a fee-hike. They demanded the federal government intervene and decide in the interest of the centres according to the notification already issued.
Universities are public institutions. The society has every right, rather it is its responsibility to keep a check on its working more than any other public institution. University autonomy does not mean its isolation. Interference means if someone uses his or her power, bureaucratic, political or social to influence its decisions for violating merit, but it has the civil society has the right and duty to see that the university is run in accordance with its laws and merit. Plagiarism of the Vice Chancellor is not an internal affair of the university. it is of serious public interest, if a plagiarist, defined as a dacoit by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, is running the affairs of the university. PUTA president should have read the order of the PHC and consulted some lawyer before issuing the statement. PHC has asked HEC to continue the investigation while stopping it from taking any action against him. It must be pointed out that, the HEC was only conducting inquiry on the request of the Chancellor and was not trying to take any action against the VC, for which it has not power and it has never claimed that power. The Chancellor being the appointing authority do have the power to take action. University's own statutory bodies were irrelevant in the case of the VC as they are subordinate to him. HEC has reportedly, submitted its report to the HEC and has found the Azmat Hayat's (the VC) PH.D thesis to be plagiarized. The action will be and must be taken by the Chancellor. PHC has not restrained the Chancellor from taking any action. Another issue that is argued by the university;s spokesman that HEC plagiarism policy was announced in 2007, so cases of plagiarism are not covered and thus plagiarism committed before 2007 is not illegal, is an argument that is baseless and shows the complete bankruptcy and incompetency of the University Authorities. Plagiarism (NAQAL) has always been a crime. its minimum penalty has always been cancellation of the degree and withdrawal of all benefits/ termination of any jobs etc that the plagiarist got due to the cancelled degree. Is PUTA representative of University Teachers or of Azmat Hayat.
The centers should not come under the university but directly under the KP government. Read more at http://greenheritagenews.com/?p=8236.
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