University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Institute of Business and Management (IB&M) sacked two faculty members for allegedly revealing the institute’s misdeeds, Pakistan Today has learnt. According to a notification issued by the university administration UET Faculty Members Assistant Professor Raza Khan and Lecturer Riaz Ahmed were terminated from service.
The UET spokesman said Raza and Riaz’s unethical behaviour and professional misconduct led to their termination. According to sources, these faculty members had sent a white paper to Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry informing them some irregularities in the institute.
The white paper revealed the financial irregularities of the institution pointed out by the UET resident auditor but the university administration paid no heed to the auditor. According to the white paper, IB&M administration had not organised a yearly external audit for the last two years. It said that the institute lacked a monetary mechanism for financial control. Monthly variance reports on accounts’ reconciliation statements had not been issued despite the budgets for 2010-11 developed by the faculty, it added.
Riaz Ahmad told Pakistan Today that the director of the institute was involved in misappropriation and was not eligible for the post. He said that IB&M Director Ali Sajid had not published a single research paper while 15 publications were mandatory for his post. Riaz said three other faculty members who stood up against the corruption were terminated earlier. He said that Higher Education Commission (HEC) had asked the UET administration to change the IB&M director.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif constituted a three-member committee to investigate the alleged financial issues of UET IB&M. The committee consisted of Punjab University Institute of Business Administration Director Dr Ehsan Malik, Punjab Higher Education Department Additional Secretary (Academics) and Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment Director Irfan.
UET Vice-Chancellor Muhammad Akram said when the inquiry committee of the university had confirmed their gross misconduct, the teachers had left the institute voluntarily. The teachers falsely accused the university in front of the media and defamed the university, he added.
The UET administration blacklisted the terminated faculty members for future employment at UET. The administration requested the HEC to blacklist the teachers from teaching, administrating or researching at other universities of the country.
