LAHORE - A report of the Auditor General of Pakistan has advised the public sector varsities in Punjab to avoid deviation from prescribed procedure of appointments against various posts while discussing cases of appointments without advertisement relating to various universities and those made below minimum criteria for such posts.

The auditor general referred to the provisions of the Constitution that guarantee equality of citizens for such public sector opportunities and the court judgments in similar cases, especially recent judgments given by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The HED officials are of the view that varsities will have to discontinue such practices. And the AG is insisting that cases can no more be kept in limbo as the irregularities in the process of appointments may not be allowed to continue till the time such appointees retire and claim benefits of retirement.

Furthermore, the auditor from Audit Punjab, a subsidiary wing of the Auditor General of Pakistan, explained that there were two prongs of the irregularity in these matters, one that of making appointments beyond law and the other fixing responsibility of deviation. A senior official was of the view that universities should not wait for the outcome of audit reports; rather they should determine the fate of such cases on their own once pointed out. He criticized the ineffective role of governing bodies of the universities as, according to him, such bodies remain indifferent and don't assert in matters of violation of procedures in cases of appointments and usually work under conflict of interest, favouritism and lack of due regard for meritocracy. It has also been learnt that continuity of such drastic violations of court judgments on procedure of appointments may invite contempt of court proceedings against those responsible.

Also, while discussing the departmental efficiency and performance, Punjab Higher Education minister Raza Ali Gilani has directed that audit-paras should be disposed of as early as possible.

Scores of appointments in public sector universities had been made without following the set criteria, as also noted by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which directed the Higher Education department to probe them.

The universities where the illegalities were noted include: BZU, UET Taxila, University of Sargodha, Women University Multan, Lahore College for Women University and University of the Punjab Lahore.

Among the illegal appointments made in administration and teaching faculty are assistant treasurers, assistant controllers, assistant registrars and professors. The vice-chancellors obliged their friends at the cost of merit.

Besides making illegal appointments on a regular basis, heavy allowances were also given to such officers even without the approval of the competent authorities. The unjustified payments were on the name of project allowances, the audit had pointed out.

In several cases, the universities also promoted those who had no legal standing in service. Majority of the universities failed to stop salaries and allowances of such appointees even after the PAC questioned the legality of appointments. The HED has started to convey the universities to rectify and clear the cases where such appointments were made.

When contacted, a senior official of the HED confirmed that PAC was much concerned over this issue of illegal appointments, promotions, and undue allowances.

Talking about the illegal appointments at UOS, he said that “they were made during the previous VC Dr Riazul Haq Tariq tenure”. Another former VC, Dr Akram Chaudhry, had tried to discontinue services of such illegal appointees but failed. Some of the political figures in the syndicate thwarted his efforts to get rid of illegally appointed staff.

Faculty members in the PU said that the government should refer the matter of illegal appointments in the universities to the Chief Minister Inspection Team or Anti corruption Establishment to probe and give recommendations to rectify the sorry state of affairs at the higher educational institutions.

The universities themselves would not be able to rectify the wrong deeds they committed in the past.