Islamabad - Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has upgraded services structure of its low-paid employees, by regularizing their jobs and giving them others benefits, particularly enhanced medical facility.

A number of employees, mainly those working on daily ages were benefited from the new initiatives taken by the Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Sahid Siddiqui during the last two and half years.

A ceremony was arranged here on Thursday at the University’s main Campus by Employees Welfare Association (EWO) to thank the Vice Chancellor for his extra-ordinary interest and support in improving the working conditions of the employees.

The VC announced that the welfare of the employees will remain his top priority so that they could work more devotedly for the development of the University and providing best possible services to the students.

He said the process was already underway to revise the University’s service statute to take care of those whose promotion is struck up for last many years due to technical reasons.

To expedite the promotion’s cases, Selection Boards and the Departmental Promotion Committees met five and six times respectively to accommodate the genuine cases. While doing so, rule, merit and transparency were strictly maintained, he added.

Earlier, the EWA’s President Sajid Muhammad Janjua and General Secretary Liaqat Hussain Kazmi said the employees are overwhelmed by the benefits given to them by the present University’s administration particularly the Vice Chancellor. It was unprecedented in the University’s history that 48 naib Qasid (Peons) were recently promoted as clerks at the same time.

They assured him full support in carrying out his educational targets. Shields were also given on the occasion to the University’s employees who recently got retied. The ceremony was also attended by the Registrar Dr. Muhammad Naeem Qureshi, Dean Sciences, Dr Naghmana Rashid, Director Regional Services Dr Mian Arif Saleem Arif and Treasure Dr Syed Amir Shah.

inp