Senior professors of the Punjab University (PU) Institute of Education and Research (IER) have submitted an application to PU vice chancellor and Punjab governor against IER Dean Dr Hafiz Iqbal, accusing him to have attained his position through fraudulent means and demanding his termination. Sources told Pakistan Today that the varsity administration was hesitant to take action against IER dean because he was backed by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).
Dr Iqbal obtained a third division in BSc and was involved in academic corruption; he got a promotion to the post of assistant professor and then professor by fraudulently showing himself on deputation in IER and without adequate experience and years of service, alleged PU IER professors in the application titled “Termination from the Post of Professor of Education and Assistant Professor of Education and Disciplinary Action for Getting Benefit Through Concealment of Facts/Fraudulent Behaviour and Dishonesty”.
The three PU IER professors who submitted this application are: Dr Muhammad Saeed Shahid, Dr Abid Hussain Chaudhary and Dr Rafaqat Ali Akbar. The professors demand Punjab government play its role and ask PU VC to start an enquiry against IER dean.
APPLICATION’S SALIENT FEATURES: The application accused Hafiz Iqbal of fraudulent behaviour, academic corruption and concealment of facts, through which he raised himself to the position of professor of education and faculty of education dean, and demand his termination from the said post and initiate an enquiry.
The application highlights the following irregularities: a) Hafiz Muhammad Iqbal passed his BSc examination in 1974 securing 281 marks out of 700 in third division b) He shifted from being a Biology lecturer for intermediate students to teaching Education at IER with inadequate experience of post graduate teaching d) He showed himself on deputation in IER to get himself a promotion e) He showed his post graduate teaching experience at Directorate of Staff Development, which is not a competent institution whose experience should be considered f) After serving at IER as lecturer only for one year one month and twenty seven days, he was appointed as assistant professor, while requirement for the said post was six years teaching/research experience in the relevant field g) He passed his Masters in Education (MEd) and was selected as professor of Education with teaching experience of just eight years six months and 23 days as lecturer, while 15 years of teaching/research experience was required for the said post.
BACKED BY JI: A senior PU administrative official said that they had asked Hafiz Iqbal to file his reply to the allegations but he did not consider their requests because “he was backed by JI.” He agreed to what the three professors had to say about Hafiz Iqbal and admitted that Iqbal was not eligible to even become a lecturer and he termed his being a dean “tragic”. However, he said that administration could not take action against him as an action could agitate JI, which will start protests in the varsity as Hafiz Iqbal was also the relative of a senior JI leader. The official said that they were planning to bring this case in the syndicate as it was “shameful” that a third divisioner worked as PU dean.
FACULTY CONDEMNS: PU faculty members condemned PU administration for taking an action against hafiz Iqbal. An IER faculty member said that they were surprised that the varsity terminated Iftikhar Baloch for “moral corruption” but was hesitant to sack Hafiz Iqbal. He said that if the administration believed in merit, it should not stay silent over the issue. He said the Punjab CM should take notice of this issue.
IER DEAN REPLIES: Hafiz Iqbal told Pakistan Today that he had already filed an application to the varsity administration and Higher Education Commission (HEC) against these professors, who have been “illegal selected”.
Iqbal confessed that he obtained a third division in BSc but clarified that it was not contrary to the selection rules at the time of his appointment. He alleged that one of the applicants, Dr Rafaqat Ali Akbar, had obtained a third division in Fsc.
Iqbal said that he had a first division in masters and also held a foreign degree. He said that all the professors who filed an application against him were selected illegally after the rejection of the selection board on March 29, 2011; they were selected just before the syndicate’s meeting. He said that none of these professors were able to publish any research article in any of the HEC recognised journals which was necessary for the completion of Phd.