Punjab University's Provisional Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Zaffar Moeen Nasar on Thursday postponed syndicate's 1724th meeting to be held on Friday (today) after facing strong resistance from deans, principals and teachers of the university.
According to sources, the VC convened an emergency meeting of deans and principals at committee room of his office on Thursday to take them on board regarding various controversial agenda items to be discussed in the meeting of the syndicate.
However, majority of deans and principals resisted the vice chancellor's move and advised him that since he was facing corruption allegations and there was no representation of teachers in the syndicate after expiry of term of four members, he had no moral ground to chair the meeting of the syndicate.
PU CEES Principal Professor Dr Sajid Rashid told the meeting that under prevailing circumstances, the VC should not convene the meeting of the syndicate and take policy matters and punitive actions since there was no representation of teachers in the highest statutory body.
He said that the university was also planning to handover 2 Kanals of its land besides PIA Planetarium and university teachers also had strong reservations over this agenda item too. PU teachers also criticized the vice chancellor on giving negative statement against ASAs before the Senate's standing committee.
They said that the whole academic community had condemned his statement and he must withdraw his words uttered before the committee. The VC, after losing his grip over the meeting, decided to postpone meeting of the syndicate. On the other hand, the PU Teachers Front has called upon the Chief Minister and Punjab Governor to intervene and take notice of alleged malpractices of the vice chancellor.
The term of four representatives of teachers, elected through elections, on the seats of professor, associate professor, assistant professor and lecturer had expired in June this year. The PU Teachers Front had strongly reacted to convening of syndicate meeting and taking up policy agenda items in the absence of their representatives.
The top of the syndicate agenda items included giving away 2 kanals PU land near Pakistan International Airlines lanetarium, Choburji and conduct a regular inquiry against former Acting Chief Engineer Faiz-ul-Hasan Sipra over allegations of malpractices in civil works.
Earlier, PU VC Dr Zaffar Mueen Nasar was accused of awarding contract of civil works illegally without inviting tenders. After publication of news in media, Dr Nasar constituted a committee to look into the matter and suspended the acting chief engineer. Sipra while appearing before the committee had submitted a written statement that he was instructed by the vice chancellor to carry out civil works without tender.
Sipra had also challenged credibility of the chairman of the inquiry committee whom the vice chancellor had given a benefit of Rs 3.7 million by stopping recovery from him in terms of house requisition. The syndicate was also scheduled to consider recommendations of plagiarism standing committee regarding plagiarism of Hailey College of Commerce Dr Zulfiqar Ahmed Bowra.
Constitution of inquiry committee against Spanish Assistant Professor Dr Maria Maldonado, former PU Director External Linkages and Incharge Institute of Languages, proposed qualification of methods of appointments for the posts of Registrar, controller of examinations, additional registrar, additional treasurer, deputy registrar, deputy treasurer, deputy controller and other administrative posts, approval of appointment of retired university employee Faqir Muhammad Irfan as Director Administration in BS (19) and adjustment/appointment against the post of additional registrar (academics), recommendations of the Selection Board, Academic Council and Finance and Planning Committee, proposals, recommendations of Calendar committee and approval of recommendations of the Statues committee, approval for issuance of show-cause notices to various faculty members in the syndicate's meeting were the main agenda items of the meeting.
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