ISLAMABAD: After attending the meetings of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) and International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa is now intending to attend a meeting of the executive council of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU).

Separately, interim education minister Madad Ali Sindhi on Thursday took ‘notice’ of the delay in establishment of sub-campus of QAU in Punjab.

The QAU is federal charted university which offers admissions to students of all four provinces, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan on quota basis.

However, the PDM government had decided to establish a sub-campus of QAU in Sharqpur, Shaikhupura, the home district of then federal education minister Rana Tanveer Hussain.

Caretaker minister takes notice of delay in establishment of QAU sub-campus in Punjab

The QAU syndicate also approved the establishment of the campus and then prime minister Shehbaz Sharif laid its foundation stone in July this year.

Meanwhile, CJP Qazi Faez Isa, who is a board member of several federal charted universities, after attending the meetings of QAU syndicate and IIUI’s board of trustee, now intends to attend the next meeting of the executive council of AIOU, the country’s largest distance learning institution.

In a letter dated December 26, the CJP through his secretary sought information from AIOU apparently to keep himself prepared for the upcoming meeting.

The university was asked to provide copy of university’s statutes, rules and regulations.

The university was also asked to inform “When the last meeting of Executive Council was held? What does the law say about frequency of meeting? When do you plan to have their next meeting?” read the letter of the secretary to CJP addressed to AIOU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Nasir Mehmood.

The VC was also asked to share minutes of the last meeting of the executive

council, details about the budget and audit for the last two financial years and whether the budget for the current financial year had been approved by the executive council?

The CJP also wanted to know the number of students registered in the university in each of the last five academic years and details of all major decisions taken “by you during the period when you were given the charge as acting VC.”

The AIOU was asked to furnish the details by next week.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training stated that caretaker education minister Madad Ali Sindhi took notice of the inordinate delay in the development of the sub-campus of QAU in Shaikhupura.

He held a meeting with HEC’s Adviser Planning and Director Planning and Development of QAU on Thursday. The minister sought a report on the delay by January 4.

The minister said such delays were major obstacle in the academic journey of the country’s youth.

He ordered HEC and QAU to immediately resolve all the pending issues related to it and further coordinate with the Punjab government in ensuring speedy construction of the campus. He said it was high time relevant departments were held accountable for inefficient and ineffective management.

The press release said the minister also paid a surprise visit to the QAU Islamabad campus and visited its hostels. He said the existing condition of the hostels was deplorable.

The students met him and highlighted their issues such as insufficient academic facilities.

The minister said, “We work towards student exchange programmes with friendly countries but after looking at the conditions of hostels it is pertinent that we first fix our own institutions before inviting foreign students to study here.”

He said such problems should be addressed on a priority basis.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2023