Sindh universities a hub of corruption

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The image of government-run universities in Sindh is being tarnished due to the allegations of corruption and mismanagement by those appointed on political grounds.

The overall ranking of government-run universities of Sindh in the nationwide ranking of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) speaks volumes about Sindh, a backward province, tainted with blemishes of mega corruption, political nepotism and inefficient administration.

Karachi University (KU) is presently in headlines regarding huge corruption and gross mismanagement. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has already initiated an inquiry against its vice chancellor Dr Mohammad Qaiser, for alleged misappropriation of public funds through illegal payments, appointments and use of the provident fund, which caused Rs566 million loss to the national exchequer. Dr Qaiser has also served as the vice chancellor of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST) and is considered an influenced figure.

KU has been facing acute financial crisis and serious management issues since long due to a lack of transparency in its governance issue. Startling exposure of the corruption mafia in this university is expected if the NAB probe continues.

However, KU is not the only university of Sindh that is marred by corruption and inefficiency. Many other state-sector universities are under the radar of anti-corruption entities. In this regard the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Sindh Assembly has already asked the Sindh chief minister to sack vice chancellor of Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU) Khairpur Prof Dr Parveen Shah and Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology (QUEST) Nawabshah VC Prof Dr Abdul Karim Baloch for not attending the PAC meeting.

PAC Chairman Saleem Raza Jalbani, while chairing a meeting at the Assembly building said that repeated directions were issued to the said VCs to appear in the meeting, but they did not”. The PAC meeting was convened to settle audit para about irregular payments of medical allowance made by respective universities to their officers and other staff.

This was the third meeting but the VCs did not attend as the issue of para audit was settled, he said. “We are recommending to the chief minister to remove them from their seats immediately and special action should also be taken against them for not complying with the directives of the committee,” Jalbani said.

 

 

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