Financial, administrative anomalies: probe body declares SPLA's elections not legally valid

An enquiry committee constituted by Sindh Industries and Commerce Department has declared Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association's (SPLA) elections as null and void over financial and administrative anomalies in the process. The rift in professors of the Sindh public sector colleges emerged last year after SPLA's elections, when election commission failed to conduct free and fair elections of the body.
After receiving complaints from SPLA Karachi and Hyderabad regions, the Sindh Industries Department initiated inquiry into the matter. Well-informed sources said that row between the Secretary Education Sindh and Sindh Education Minister was being exploited by the certain groups of professors and lecturers and these groups are under the very much influence of the top officials.
"These groups are hell bent on achieving their 'ulterior' motives by extending loyalties to the high officials, ultimately serious rift was witnessed among the professors that led to the elections violations," sources said. Following the complaints of rigging and financial anomalies lodged by Professor Iftikhar Mohammad Azmi and his aides, Sindh Industries department set up an enquiry committee to investigate the allegations.
According to the enquiry report, a copy of which is available with Business Recorder, the enquiry officer propose that an Administrator may be appointed to administer the affairs of Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA), who will also hold free, fair, and transparent elections of the premier body of Sindh's public sector colleges' teachers, with over 5,000 members. The report disclosed that there was a dispute between the bodies/groups. Professor Muhammad Siddique Unar, who head one of the two groups and was also Chairman of Constitution Committee, acted illegally and made amendments to the constitution called "fifth amendment" after a single meeting of Constitutional Amendment Committee.
Professor Siddique Unar group approved fifth amendment directly from SPLA General Convention without proper intimation to other members and incorporated in bye-laws. "Such illegal/unapproved amendments for the tenure 2012-2014 without approval of the Registering Authority, under Societies Act, is the violation of SPLA's 2005 bye-laws as well as violation of Section-12, Societies Act 1860," the report said. According to Professor Iftikhar Azmi, President SPLA Karachi Region, 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 incumbent Education Minister Nisar Khuhro is also toeing the policies of his predecessor," Professor Azmi said.