ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, Wednesday, while expressing serious concern over the unfortunate scam of the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) has summoned the regional police officer (RPO) Bahawalpur and the director general Cyber Crime Wing of the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) on July 31, 2023 to brief the panel on the entire matter.
The meeting of the standing committee which was held here under the chairmanship of Makhdoom Syed Samiul Hassan Gilani expressed serious concern over the incident. The deputy registrar informed the panel that the chief security officer (CSO) of the IUB has been suspended and was in judicial remand. The committee directed the management of the IUB to submit details till the next meeting.
The chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) informed the committee that a high-powered committee was being constituted with three VCs and some officers from security agencies to investigate the issue while a special audit and performance audit of the IUB will also be conducted in the near future. The committee, endorsing the suggestion of the chairman HEC, directed to expedite the process.
On the agenda relating to the presentation of the report on the last syndicate meeting of the IUB by the Vice Chancellor, Islamia University, Bahawalpur, the deputy registrar informed the committee that the DPO Bahawalpur was requested to lodge FIR against Syed Ali Hassan Gillani, however, the DPO has advised to refer the case to the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Punjab. The committee, endorsing the viewpoint of the DPO and directed the deputy registrar to forward the case to the ACE Punjab and report to it as well as the HEC.
On the agenda item concerning the employees working under the wedlock policy in the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), the deputy DG FDE was directed by the committee to submit a report on NOCs issued by them along with a record of the employees.
The vice chancellor Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), while briefing the committee regarding the case of Akhtar Malik, assistant professor, Pak Studies (AIOU), the Allama Iqbal Open University apprised that there is no case on record of Malik Akhtar. Moreover, there aren't any promotions done by the university and, as asked by the committee. The VC also informed that five years’ record of the university has been submitted to the committee.
The AIOU officials, while briefing the panel about the criteria for promotion in the university, said that there is an internal selection board for hiring, furthermore, the university has its own Act and policy for regularization and promotion and till now there are total of 1,020 appointments from Grade 2-20.
On the agenda on promotions in the FDE, the officials informed the panel that the promotions from assistant director to deputy director, section officer promotions that an officer has to complete five years in BS-17 and thereafter, the officer is promoted in BS-18. The committee directed the secretary to look into the matter and submit a report in the next meeting.
The meeting was attended by Nisar Ahmad Cheema, Chaudhry Muhammad Hamid Hameed, Kiran Imran Dar, Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Musarrat Rafiq Mahesar, Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Farukh Khan, officers from Ministry of Federal Education, the chairman HEC, and representatives of other departments.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023