PESHAWAR: Crisis persists at the Gomal University and recently upgraded Agriculture University Dera Ismail Khan as minutes of the university’s Senate meeting held on December 7, 2021, were released on Monday.
Vice-chancellor of the university Prof Dr Iftikhar Ahmad, however, said that he has not received anything officially. “Nothing sent to us in this regard so far. This is the first time I am seeing these minutes,” said the vice-chancellor in response to a message from this reporter.
The university senate in its meeting had decided to set aside the withdrawal of the notifications of the vice-chancellor related to asset distribution between the two universities.It had also been decided to issue show-cause notices to Dr Iftikhar and 10 other members of the syndicate who signed the minutes of the 107 meeting but later recorded their note of dissent, the minutes stated.
According to the minutes, the senate’s meeting was informed that the provincial cabinet in its 52nd meeting had approved the upgrading of the faculty of agriculture Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan to the status of full-fledged University of Agriculture Dera Ismail Khan.
In light of the cabinet decision, an assets’ distribution committee was constituted for the distribution of assets and human resources between the two universities.The recommendations of the committee were endorsed in the 107th meeting of the syndicate and were subsequently confirmed in its 109 and 110 meetings, the minutes added.
Accordingly, the assets were distributed. But the Peshawar High Court later passed the judgment in a case filed by Dr Iftikhar Ahmad stating: “All the demands and proceedings regarding transfer and distribution of assets of Gomal University to the newly established Agriculture University being without lawful authority and jurisdiction are hereby set aside. However, the provincial government or the Higher Education Department may approach the university syndicate through its vice-chancellor for lending or transferring of any property to the new university.”
The judgment was referred to the scrutiny committee of the Law Department which declared that the judgment of the high court had been implemented and the assets’ distribution had already been approved by the syndicate in its 107th meeting and subsequently confirmed in 109 and 110 meetings, the minutes stated.
Meanwhile, Dr Iftikhar joined his office after the expiry of his forced leave and withdrew the notifications on the assets’ distribution, the meeting was told. The chair asked the vice-chancellor under which authority he had withdrawn the notification.
The vice-chancellor replied that he was on forced leave and Masroor Ilahi Babar, who was given additional charge of Gomal University, was required to act in officiating capacity and not take policy decisions. As this was a policy decision, it was withdrawn by him being the chief executive and principal accounting officer of the university, he said.
Furthermore, the 107th meeting of the syndicate had been convened on a single point agenda - implementation of court orders as per direction of the chancellor’s office and hence discussing matters of asset distribution as an agenda point was beyond the scope of the meeting.
It merits a mention here that Dr Masroor Ilahi Babar is the vice-chancellor of the new agriculture university and who else would be more interested than him in getting the assets/human resources distributed at the earliest.
The chair declared that Dr Iftikhar Ahmad could not satisfy the forum about the withdrawal of notifications on assets’ distribution between Gomal University and Agriculture University DI Khan.
The financial, administrative issues, and now matters pertaining to assets’ distribution are adversely affecting the functioning of the Gomal University, which is one of the oldest and leading universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to a senior official in the provincial bureaucracy, the intentions of both sides do not seem fair. The provincial government is adamant to get its decision implemented at all costs, while the university administration has its own points to justify its stand.
