ISLAMABAD - A director of Pakistan National Council of Arts is facing major penalty i.e. dismissal from service as she has failed to provide her educational degrees to PNCA despite passage of several years and for overstaying abroad and misguiding the council on a number of occasions, documents available with The Nation reveal.
According to the documents, PNCA Visual Arts Division Director Musarat Nahid Imam was charge sheeted on 16 allegations by PNCA and a committee was formed to inquire into the matter. The committee in its findings has concluded that the director has been found guilty on many accounts including having suspicious educational documents.
The documents states that ‘the charge of “misconduct” has been proved against Ms Mussarat... against certain allegations. It is, therefore, recommended that Pakistan National Council of the Arts may initiate disciplinary action against her’.
Mussarat Naheed was charge sheeted by PNCA director general vide letter No.3(12)/84-Admn, dated January 23rd, 2014. The accused director has been shying away from the inquiry committee by making numerous excuses; however, in Match she had no option but to appear before the committee.
The allegations which according to the committee have been proved are: Since her appointment in the PNCA, the director has not been able to submit copies of her academic certificates/degrees despite repeated verbal as well as written instructions/reminders issued to her over the years. She has been wilfully and consistently neglecting all these requests/orders, on one pretext or the other;
And, she wilfully concealed crucial information like date of birth, educational qualification and other credentials with a mala fide, to seek appointment in PNCA, and subsequent promotion to higher grades over the years.
During the probe proceedings Ms Mussarat denied the allegations and stated that she had not concealed any crucial information. At this she was asked to submit copies of the required certificates/degrees or challan forms to obtain duplicate copies, to the inquiry committee. She was provided final opportunity vide letter dated April 15, 2014 to furnish verified copies of her academic certificates within 20 days.
In response, she informed that she had tried her best to acquire the academic certificates within the time frame but, due to procedural delays on part of the Punjab University, she could not acquire the same.
However, she provided a copy of the notification issued by the university regarding result of the candidates in Fine Arts depicting her name and a copy of the intermediate certificate issued by Sargodha Board. The copies of matriculation certificates, graduation and master degrees were not provided to the committee. Copy of the notification for master’s degree provided to the committee also did not serve any purpose.
In its report, the committee said it was of the view that it was her responsibility to provide verified copies of academic certificates but, despite repeated directions issued vide letters dated 22-9-2007, 11-10-2007, 11-06-2008, 31-12-2007, 7-06-2013, 15-08-2013 and 6-05-2013, she could neither provide the same to PNCA nor to the inquiry committee.”
Another allegation reads that the director applied for ex-Pakistan leave from September 13-28, 2012 to perform Umra but she actually curated an exhibition titled “Turathuna” from September 18-21 in Saudi Arabia, unauthorised representing Government of Pakistan and PNCA in the exhibition. This allegation was denied by the director but the documentary evidence spoke the otherwise. Similarly, there have been instances where she overstayed abroad without ex-Pakistan leave.