IIUI rector faces double salary controversy

ISLAMABAD: Rector International Islamic University Islamabad Dr Masoom Yasinzai is in the middle of a controversy for allegedly receiving dual salary without the notice and prior approval of Board of Governors (BOG), Board of Trustees (BOT).

“I received an honoraria for giving consultancy to a Saudi university which was headed by the pro-chancellor of the IIUI, It’s legal; however; I did not feel to take the matter to BOG or BOT since it was a task given to me by the pro-chancellor,” says Dr Yasinzai in his written reply to The News.

The documents available with this correspondent reveal that Dr Yasinzai has received millions of rupees from Imam Muhammad University of Saudi Arabia during last few years. As per the document, amount was given to him as a monthly salary.

Interestingly Dr Yasinzai received this salary from a Saudi national Dr Sulaiman Aba AlKhel who himself was removed (as director of Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University) on corruption charges. He, being director, was ex-officio pro-chancellor of the IIUI. He is still under arrest; however, investigation findings against him on the alleged corruption are still awaited.

According to the rules, no government servant can receive any salary or amount other than his salary but in this case apparently the rules were not followed by one of the senior most official of a university.

Sources revealed that Dr Yasinzai did not disclose the receiving of this amount to any of the authorities of the university. It is important to note that the rector is appointed as chancellor of the IIUI by the President of Pakistan, and salary of rector is equivalent to MP-I pay scale.

Documents show that Dr Yasinzai received dual salary for a considerable period of time during his tenure as the IIUI rector.

In this regard when this correspondent approached the IIUI rector he sent a detailed reply which is as follows:

“In 2014 i established a research centre at IIUi and that is Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences (CIRBS). This centre was inaugurated by Prof AbaAlkhail our prochancellor and liked this unique idea. He expressed the desire to establish one such centre at Imam University Saudi Arabia. He asked for my help and requested that if i could consult for them. Since i m a scientist. I have been doing research projects throughout my career i agreed and prepared for them the proposal, the complete Project PC 1 and the research projects that could be initiated in the centre and further that how could these both centres collaborate. He sent me the contract for this and i signed. As he was my prochancellor and as per act he could assign me the task. People from Imam University in 2015 visited the centre also and got an idea.

On the completion of the assignment, that University paid me around 15,000 US$ as honoraria. I never received any regular salary from them. This was in return for this highly skilled and scientific job that I did for them. Many scientists in this country do consultancies and receive consultancy fee.

We even carry out research projects here in Pakistan and receive as honoraria amount equivalent to two basic salaries. This is allowed for scientists and is legal. Since this was an assignment given to me by the pro chancellor i did not feel it to take it to BoG or BoT nor was it some kind of a policy matter. Although foreign remittance is tax exempted but i have mentioned it in the returns,” answered IIUI Rector Dr Masoom Yasinzai.