KARACHI: Five retired professors of Karachi University (KU), two of them deans, have approached the chief minister urging him to take notice of acting vice chancellor’s “unlawful actions” and declare proceedings of the special selection board and the last syndicate null and void, sources told Dawn on Sunday.

These senior teachers, they said, had applied for the post of Meritorious Professor (B-22), a key academic position, in 2015. But, the university could not hold the special selection board meant for this purpose for seven years during which these professors retired.

Sources said meetings of a scrutiny committee and a special selection board were finally held this year on court orders, which had directed the university administration to consider their cases for award of meritorious professor. None of them, however, were selected for the post, though the scrutiny committee had recommended their names along with some other teachers to the selection board.

Conflict of interest

“This is to draw your attention towards the ‘autocratic, unlawful and damaging actions of the acting vice chancellor. One of the recent examples is that he not only chaired a meeting illegally, he also deprived us of our right of being considered as Meritorious Professor in BPS-22,” the letter said.

The letter pointed out conflict of interest in the case as “the acting vice chancellor himself was an applicant with us for the post of Meritorious Professor and wasn’t recommended by the scrutiny committee”.

He (the acting VC) called a meeting of the selection board on Feb 12 for appointment of meritorious professor on the order of the Sindh High Court.

“He not only chaired the board’s meeting, but also the syndicate’s meeting held on April 10 and approved the minutes of the illegal selection board during which four members also gave their note of dissent.

“By any rule or law, he cannot take part or chair a selection board of candidates for higher post while he himself was a candidate as it is an obvious clash of interest.”

The professors have requested the chief minister to take immediate action against this serious violation of the law and the Constitution of Pakistan and declare proceedings of the selection board and the April 10 syndicate null and void.

The letter is signed by Prof Shamshad Zarina, former director of the National Centre for Proteomics, Prof Muhammad Shaiq Ali, a senior teacher at the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, Prof Syed Asad Saeed, former chairman of the department of food science and technology, Prof Abid Hasnain, former dean of science faculty and Prof Rahila Najam, former dean of the pharmacy faculty.

KU has only two meritorious professors

According to sources, KU despite having the largest faculty among public sector universities in the country has only two serving meritorious professors, who will also retire this year.

Only 12.5 per cent of the total serving professors who have excellent academic achievements during their career and meet the merit criteria laid down by the HEC may be appointed as meritorious professors.

It may be recalled that the university issued an internal advertisement for the said post on April 9, 2015, and the merit list of 30 applicants was notified by the registrar in Nov, 2016.

After a delay of five years, a few top ranking professors filed constitution petitions in the court, requesting it compel the university to hold the meeting of the special selection board.

“Over the last two years, 12 out of 15 eligible candidates retired due to intentional delay in holding the meeting of the special selection board, which recommended only three in-service teachers for the post. It’s a cold blooded murder of merit,” said an aggrieved teacher.

“It’s not a matter of an increment or promotion. It’s an honour to be chosen as a meritorious professor after a long teaching career. Once appointed to this position, the teacher concerned can then apply for the post of National Distinguished Professor whose selection is made by the HEC,” he added.

‘Conflict of interest’ denied

Upon contact, acting KU vice chancellor Prof Khalid Iraqi denied that there was any conflict of interest since ‘he was not recommended for the post of Meritorious Professor by the scrutiny committee’.

“Second, these professors have retired and there was no precedent at KU of awarding the post to retired teachers and engaging them as university employees. Thirdly, the recommendations were made by the special selection board and not by me,” he argued, adding the board’s members included three syndicate members, a representative of HEC and Sindh Public Service Commission each and secretary boards and universities.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2021