Amid the vociferous calls for requirement of more research grants at the University of Karachi (KU) for keeping up the works, a former acting dean of the Islamic Studies Faculty has been found to have spent an amount Rs 1.8 million out of the research grants for repair and renovation in the four departments under his faculty. An investigation into the financial affairs of the Islamic Studies Faculty has revealed that former acting dean Prof Dr Hissamuddin Mansuri was allocated Rs 2.8 million on account of research grant but the professor utilised the leftover funds for renovation of the departments, as “only a number of teachers were doing research and the money unspent was utilised on maintenance works”.
Moreover, the varsity also gave the ex-dean Rs 0.6 million over claims that he had spent the money from his account to complete the faculty’s renovation.
Mansuri claims the renovations were done with prior approval of the KU vice chancellor (VC) and pro-vice chancellors (PVCs) as some professors were trying to pocket the research money. Since its construction in 1984, the building housing the fours departments of Faculty of Islamic Studies – Quran Wa Sunnah, Islamic Learning, Usool-e-Din and Sirah Chair – have had no repairs or renovations in the past 26 years.
As per the KU and Higher Education Commission (HEC) laws, the research grants can only be utilised for research and if funds are in excess, the grant should be returned instead of using the money for other purposes.
Besides, the Islamic faculty professors had also submitted an application with VC and PVCs against the usage of research grants unlawfully for repair works at the faculty but the VC instead of taking action against the ex-dean allocated him an additional Rs 0.6 million from the KU account.
Talking with Pakistan Today, Mansuri, who completed his tenure a month ago, said the varsity had allocated millions of rupees for renovation of the department since 1982 but no one paid attention. “Some professors of Islamic faculty were trying to pocket the money on the name of research projects but I saved the money from them,” he added.
“The KU Finance Director called me and informed me that he had received application from the Islamic faculty professors demanding a huge allocation of research grant,” Mansuri said. “When I checked, there were indeed some applications in which, applicants had changed the figures that were approved by the faculty.”
“[Still] I was handed over the entire research grant of Rs 2.8 million and was asked to distribute it by myself amongst the researchers,” he said. “I distributed Rs 1 million among the genuine researchers and with prior approval of VC and PVCs, spent the rest of the Rs 1.8 million on renovation.”
“I spent another Rs 0.6 million from my [personal] account to complete the works and later sent the receipts to VC, who returned the amount from the KU account,” Mansuri said. “With the total expense of Rs 2.4 million, a car parking facility for teachers was built while the students changed the electric wiring of the departments.”
“[Moreover], the faculty’s water pump was replaced, departments white washed, a girls’ common room and a research corner established, windowpanes and doors replaced, 13 new washrooms established and the nine existing washrooms renovated,” the former dean described.
When contacted for comments, KU Academic Affairs PVC Prof Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi rejected the claims of the former Islamic Studies dean and said that utilisation of research grants for renovation purpose was unlawful. “I did not allow [Mansuri] to utilise research funds on renovation and his claims are false,” she added.
“The KU has a separate account for repair and renovation but the utilisation of research money for the purpose is unlawful because if there is no research work in the department, the grants should be returned to the varsity,” Kazmi said.
