LAHORE: Many lobbies have become active to save the skin of their men appointed illegally in the University of Sargodha (UOS) and started a threatening campaign against the administration, it has been learnt.
Official sources at the Higher Education Department (HED) confirmed that after the government had decided to surrender the services of those faculty members and others who were appointed illegally such elements started using unfair means to influence the authorities. They also told that the HED had conveyed to the universities that could not maintain the supremacy of law and merit while making appointments to de-notify them after following the procedure.
An HED officer commenting on the issue said, “The department didn’t close its eyes on illegal appointments in universities also rightly pointed out by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Punjab Assembly. A probe committee was already constituted to furnish final recommendations on the matter,” he held.
He said that the department was apprised that besides an MPA who is also a member of the syndicate, many faculty members have also started lobbying to protect their illegal jobs. He said that the department would stand by the university administration on establishing rule of law and supremacy of merit. He said that the department would not compromise on merit come what may.
The HED officer also told this paper that the AC Kotmomin and a College Administration issue also led to a campaign against the government writ by the former university PRO Tariq Kaleem, whom the varsity administration surrendered. He said that the department would initiate an inquiry on misconduct on Kaleem’s misconduct.
This was a day, when a lady Assistant Commissioner, went to perform her duty of checking intermediate centre at Kotmomin Degree College. Rest of the story was just fabricated. The varsity PRO who was also representative of the Vice Chancellor staged a protest demonstration against the government representative, the AC Kotmomin. He also used derogatory language against the lady AC despite the VC’s direction to refrain from such illegal acts. He not only harassed the female AC but also ridiculed her in the worst possible way on the social media.
The District administration took cognizance of his conduct and requested the VC and the Registrar to stop him but the teacher did not care for their advice and defied the University Administration.
A report of the mutiny created by Tariq Kaleem against the writ of the government was generated by the Deputy Commissioner and the HED withdrew his services from the UOS. During the meantime, he used the self-proclaimed forum of professors association Sargodha of which no university professor is a member. He in the meanwhile joined hands with some illegal appointees and corrupt elements of the university who feared their misfortune at the hands of an honest and daring VC. As the VC declared his vision, the corrupt elements started feeling their ouster. So a comprehensive campaign was launched against the VC and the Registrar who did not bow before such elements. In the meeting, July 24 of the Syndicate some mega corruption and fraud cases were put on agenda. The MPA, Tariq Kaleem and some other elements wanted to evade their doomsday and so to divert the attention whole drama was staged. The Syndicate took notice of the corruption in procurement at Bhakkar sub-campus and appointment of ghost visiting teachers. Another case of illegal appointment of the Sociology professor who possessed the degree in Agriculture was taken up for proceeding under PEEDA act 2006. Besides this matter of appointments without advertisement for which the MPA had sympathies was also taken up.
When contacted the UOS VC and Tariq Kaleem were not available. However, a university teacher said that the illegally appointed faculty in the university was a bad name for the institution. He confirmed that such elements were managing media campaign against the VC, who is an honest and upright person.