‘Irregularities’ in AWKUM affairs surface

PESHAWAR: Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM) has been accused of maladministration, as well as illegal appointments as unqualified persons were hired on permanent faculty positions in violation of Higher Education Commission rules, according to well-placed sources from the varsity.

In the year 2017, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) formally declared to increase the qualifications for the positions of assistant professors and lecturers, i.e. PhD for assistant professors and MS/MPhil for lecturers. A notification in this respect was issued in the year 2017 when universities were asked to adhere to the MS and PhD criteria for the faculty positions and the same notification is also available on the HEC website.

However, in the year 2021 and 2022, the university appointed several assistant professors despite the fact that they were not having PhD degrees.

According to details shared by sources in Awkum, one assistant professor was appointed in the HRM Department, two were recruited in the Economics Department, two in the Physical Education and Sports Department and one AP was appointed in the Political Science Department.

A professor in the university said that the Awkum administration made a “selection board” for the appointment of those APs. However, a member of the search committee for vice-chancellors told this scribe that the universities must adhere to the HEC rules while forming selection boards for appointments.

He added that even during the tenure of Dr Attaur Rehman as HEC chairman, the universities had been asked to elevate the PhD criterion for assistant professors.

Also, several university students told The News that they had paid proper fee in the name of “convocation fee” but that their convocation was not held so far.

Tauseef Ali, a student who graduated from Awkum in the year 2020, said that his batch of students were also deprived of the convocation so far.

Another female student, who achieved distinction in the 2019 session of Awkum, said that she had graduated several years ago but their convocation has yet to be held.

“I also paid Rs7000 convocation fee and Rs4000 degree fee but the convocation could not be held so far, despite our demands and protests,” she said.

She further said, “Without any convocation, the university handed me the degree in an ordinary office file, which was torn, and there was no formal cover file in which degrees are normally offered to graduates.

I even protested against this. My family now says I wasted money on Awkum, and they don’t believe that I have secured a distinctive position since I have no proof of distinction due to the non-conduct of convocation.”

Abid Mehmood, who serves on the public relations wing of the university, told The News that the convocation had been delayed due to some issues, but that the university intended to conduct a convocation within a month or two.

He also admitted that the degree cover files were not available for some time, which is why students were given degrees without them, but added that recently the covers had been arranged at the campus.

To a query about the appointment of non-PhDs as assistant professors, he said that it would be better to contact the university registrar to discuss this issue.

However, the university registrar Saim Sohail did not comment on the issue and expressed his unawareness of the issue, as he said he was not posted as registrar those days.

Meanwhile, Governor Ghulam Ali said that he would look into the issue of the appointment of non-PhDs to the AP positions in the AWKUM.

The governor, who is also the chancellor of public sector universities in KP, said: “No one is permitted to violate rules and laws in the universities.”