SPLA's controversial elections: Sindh government orders inquiry into irregularities

Sindh Industries and Commerce department has ordered inquiry into the alleged irregularities in Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association's (SPLA) last elections, it was learnt. The action was taken on rigging complaints in SPLA's elections. Sources said a member of SPLA had submitted written complaints with the concerned department, claiming that elections 2013 of the body were held against SPLA's constitution.
Professor Iftikhar Azmi, President SPLA Karachi Region, alleged that former Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq had created differences among the professors and lecturers of Sindh colleges by entertaining a small group of colleges' teachers. "Now the present Education Minister Nisar Khoro is also toeing the policies of his predecessor," Professor Azmi said. Sources said that internal row between the groups came into limelight when Professor Azmi-led SPLA group launched campaign against former education minister when he refused to accept teachers' justified demands. "The demands include time-scale promotion formula for the teachers of Sindh colleges," he added.
"It seems that education is not the priority of the PPP-led Sindh government, whenever the teachers demand facilities for the dissemination of quality education, bureaucracy and political regime adopt counterproductive attitude to ignore the real issues," a professor said. Sources said that creating division among the professors was actually intended to hide the corruption in Sindh Education Department.
They said that the internal rift in professors of the Sindh public sector colleges was emerged last year after the SPLA's elections, when election commission failed to conduct fair and transparent elections of the body. After receiving complaints from SPLA Karachi and Hyderabad regions, the Sindh Industries Department has initiated inquiry into the matter. Presently, two governing bodies of SPLA are in operation, one is actual body that had been working before the last elections, and the other body was formed after the elections, which has not yet been endorsed by the government of Sindh due to reported anomalies in the elections. Sources said Manzoor Alam Farooqi, Assistant Director Industries Department has been appointed as Enquiry Officer to conduct the enquiry into the affairs of SPLA. As per the term of reference the inquiry officer has to determine:
i)Whether the Governing body of the SPLA is unable to discharge or persistently fails in discharging its duties.
ii) Whether the management committee of the society is unable to administer its affairs or meet its financial obligations.
iii) Whether the management committee of the Society is acting in a manner contrary to the public interest or the interests of its members.
iv) Whether the Society's management is being run in accordance with the requirement as Societies Registration Act, 1860.
The enquiry officer has been directed to furnish the inquiry report to the concerned department within a period of 30 days. Professor Ferozuddin Ahmed Siddiqui, who claimed to be President of SPLA Karachi Region after the controversial elections, said that he would appear before the enquiry officer to prove the opponents wrong.