MARDAN, Aug 14: Nepotism, illegal recruitments and anomalies in financial matters at a massive scale by the administration have become a routine practice in Abdul Wali Khan University (AWKU), Mardan, according to sources.

They alleged that misuse of funds and irregularities were committed by the high-ups of AWKU during the last four and half years, since its establishment in April 2009.

According to documents, available with this scribe, the university administration has committed gross irregularities in appointment of professors, assistant professors, lecturers, teaching assistant, assistant registrars, assistant administrative officers, assistant controller of examinations, assistant administration officer, Class-IV employees and gardeners etc.

Besides anomalies in recruitment of staff, funds of the university were misused ruthlessly as several blue-eyed officials were awarded two and even three salaries from the university under different heads, sources said.

Ironically, the vice-chancellor of the university also drew three salaries in a single month as he appointed himself director of different projects of the university, sources said.

“There is no precedent in the educational of history of the province that a vice-chancellor has appointed himself director of a construction project in the university,” said an educationist.

According to the documents, some officials were appointed at AWKU despite the fact that they couldn’t pass the screening test.

Fifty per cent marks were must for passing the test but the AWKU administration recruited those candidates, who got even less than 33 per cent marks in the screening tests, the documents show.

Sources said that 700 persons in BPS-1 to PBS-16 were appointed in AWKU without advertising the posts in different newspapers.

“The appointment of retired and overage persons as well as persons with no or fake experience certificates is a clear violation of the rules and regulations of the university,” sources said.

The documents showed that Arshur Rehman, who used to work as senior clerk in Government Postgraduate College Mardan before establishment of AWLU, was first appointed as assistant director finance and then deputy director finance.

Mr Rehman even didn’t have a degree of M.Com or MBA to meet the criteria to apply for the post. He has obtained second division in MA political science. Moreover, he didn’t work even for a single day in BPS-16. Having first division or second division in Masters with six years experience in PBS-16 was requirement for the advertised post.

According to an inquiry, conducted against him during his employment in the Government College Lundkhwar, he was prohibited from dealing financial matters as the probe held him responsible for embezzlement of Rs0.427 million in the college.

Sources said that AWKU administration didn’t implement the verdict of Peshawar High Court within nine months regarding the notification of provincial government wherein the government postgraduate colleges for boys and girls in Mardan were declared constituent colleges of the university.

“According to the standing order of provincial government, the already built spacious mosque and stadium should be used jointly by Government Postgraduate College Mardan and AWKU,” they said, adding that despite that AWKU administration spent Rs5 million unnecessarily on construction of a second mosque on the campus of Mardan College.

They said that persons with second division in MA English were appointed as lecturers in the department of English though according to advertisement first division was required for the post.

Similarly, violating the Act of Abdul Wali Khan University, lecturers, assistant professors and retired persons were appointed as chairmen of different departments in the university to ensure recruitment of the blue-eyed persons of the administration through those heads of the departments, sources said.

They alleged that schoolteachers, bank employees, nazims and councillors were appointed on deputation in AWKU. Overseas scholarships were awarded to irrelevant persons like hostel warden, assistant controller and assistant registrar etc, they added.

Sources said that Aisha Rasool, a hostel warden, and Shaista were awarded scholarships for abroad and the latter availed the facility on the very next day of her appointment.They said that Mah Rukh was appointed as a lecturer without conducting a test and interview. Then she was sent abroad on a scholarship ignoring several eligible candidates, they added.

“The worst example of anomalies is recruitment of Faizur Rahman, a junior programmer, who was appointed both on contract and regular basis through two separate notifications issued on May 2, 2009,” sources said.

Likewise, they said, Dr Syed Inayat Ali Shah, who was member of the selection board of the university, appeared as a candidate for the post of professor in mathematics department in violation of AWKU Act.

Though the requirements were not fulfilled, yet he was recommended for promotion as professor in PBS-21, they added.

Similarly, they said, several members of the same families were appointed in the university that showed the worst kind of nepotism. They said that six brothers including Arshur Rahman, Izazur Rahman, Hushur Rahman, Tanzilur Rahman, Shamsur Rahman and Junaid were given jobs by the university administration.

Also, former MNA Himayatullah Mayar, legal adviser of AWKU, his wife Zilla Huma, deputy director in BPS-18, also a bank employee, and his brother Wasiullah, assistant controller, belonged to the same family, sources said.

The induction of Dr Saeed Anwar, his daughter Natasha Anwar in BPS-18, his brother Anwar in English department and son-in-law Mohibullah in BPS-18 was another example of obliging the entire family by the university administration, they added.

“These are examples of only few irregularities in AWKU. There are more to be disclosed before an inquiry committee with proofs. However, it needs a thorough and impartial inquiry,” said sources on condition of anonymity.

They demanded of Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, provincial government and other high-ups to take up the matter seriously and deal with the responsible persons with an iron hand.

Dr Saeedul Islam, registrar of AWKU, when contacted, said that he was 200 per cent sure that all appointments and recruitments were made on merit and according to the rules and regulations of HEC and the university Act.

He claimed that there was a proper and well-organised mechanism for recruitments and appointments as well as running of financial matters of the university.