–Dr Javed Ashraf’s request to become authorised officer was turned down by syndicate members
ISLAMABAD: Seemingly, in utter frustration, the embattled Vice Chancellor of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Dr Javed Ashraf has tried to get despotic powers to settle scores with the Academic Staff Association (ASA), however, the bid was foiled by the syndicate members.
The QAU VC tried to get consent in writing of the syndicate members of the varsity to allow him to be an authorised officer in discipline case so that he can take action against the protesting faculty members. However, the syndicate members strongly opposed the move because they felt that the VC wanted to take revenge from the faculty members by expelling them.
The VC of the country top-ranked university is running the varsity’s affairs from his official residence for the last over three months due to the on-going tussle between him and faculty members, as the 10-member probe committee has miserably failed in resolving the saga.
Therefore, VC Javed Ashraf, who is about to complete his tenure after two months, asked the senior faculty members to allow him to be the authorised officer in discipline cases apparently to settle scores with the protesting faculty members in his last leg of his tenure as a VC.
A letter was written to a Syndicate member of the university, a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today, reads, “You are aware of acts of indiscipline by some faculty members. I have recently issue show-cause notices to these individuals under Section 13(3) of the University Act 1973.”
The letter reads, “I am seeking your assent and post-facto approval to act as Authorized Officer in these cases and in other acts of indiscipline. I shall be grateful if you would kindly response to this letter as soon as possible but not later than by Monday, July 9, 2018.”
In the letter, the VC sought consent authorization to allow him to be authorised officer in discipline case and asked to select on the following three options.
“I vote in favour of allowing Dr Javed Ashraf to be the Authorized Officer. I do not vote in favour of Dr. Javed Ashraf to be the authorized officer. I am abstaining from voting in this case.”
Sources said that Prof Waqar Shah, senior dean, strongly opposed the VC’s request and responded that there is already inquiry against VC ongoing and such power always destroy the institutions.
Besides him, the sources said that Prof Tasawar Hayat, Dr Jaspal Elected and Prof Rafiq Tahir strongly opposed it and called it a gross violation of TORs of the VC inquiry.
They said that Senator Mushaid Ullah also opposed the bid, while Barrister Zafarullah resisted it and asked the VC to wait for the inquiry report against him instead.
Sources said that the VC did not only violate the role under which he was bound to seek consent in a meeting rather in a writing besides he is about to retire and an inquiry against him pending. They said that the VC did this just to distort the career of the faculty members, however, the syndicate did not succeed in his efforts.
It is pertinent to mention here that ‘probe committee’ headed by Joint Education Advisor (JEA) Prof Rafiq Tahir was constituted on April 1 with the mandate of 10 days to find out solution to the problem but despite lapse of around three months no headway has been made in this regard that negatively impacted the educational and administrative activities of the QAU.
The committee comprised ten members, five each from Academic Staff Association (ASA) and university administration, is dallying the issue deliberately rather than giving serious consideration to settle the issue once and for all.
They said that the education activities were badly affected at the university, as neither the Higher Education Commission (HEC) nor the ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has taken any tangible step to fix responsibility on either the Dr Ashraf or the ASA.
