LAHORE – Government College University (GCU) Registrar Sahibzada Faisal Khurshid’s extended term of office is going to end on April 12 but Punjab’s Higher Education Department (HED) is procrastinating when it comes to appointing a new registrar.
On the other hand, Faisal is trying frantically to get another six-month extension much to the dismay of GCU faculty members.
Faisal became a controversial figure when he allowed a dance performance by stage actress Deedar at GCU in utter disregard for the institute’s traditions.
Former GCU VC Khalid Aftab turned a deaf ear to all complaints against Faisal and also gave him a six-month extension. Now that Aftab has retired, the teachers are expecting new VC Rana Ikram to take Faisal to task.
An HED official told Pakistan Today that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took strong exception to Deedar’s dance at GCU and Faisal’s alleged involvement in sexual harassment of a female colleague and he wanted to appoint an impeccable figure as GCU registrar but a few GCU alumni who had close association with both Faisal and the CM intervened to give Faisal’s extended term a new lease of life.
The HED official said that the former VC granted Faisal an illegal extension as a farewell gift to him in October 2010 when Faisal’s three-year term had expired. He said Faisal was appointed registrar in Oct 2007 although he did not meet eligibility criteria. The official said that Aftab not only gave Faisal an illegal extension in his term of office, but also gave him a free hand to influence the selection process for a regular registrar. He said Faisal got himself short-listed as the single candidate for appointment as a regular registrar.
A GCU administrative official said that GCU Syndicate members voiced serious reservations against Faisal’s nomination as a single candidate in view of his involvement in numerous scandals. The Syndicate, however, caved in to pressure and finally agreed to forward a panel of three candidates, including Faisal, to the Punjab government for appointment of a regular registrar.
The Punjab government did not notify any of the three candidates of their appointment so as to give the newly-appointed vice chancellor a chance to appoint a candidate of his own choice for the smooth functioning of the university.
Meanwhile, the teachers are calling for the CM to investigate allegations of embezzlement against Faisal.
