PU loses opportunity to get rid of IJT
PU loses opportunity to get rid of IJT as classes resume
Lahore, Apr 20: It appears that 'Jaamatism' is the destiny of students of the Punjab
University where their "spiritual fathers" – who are trying to impart
knowledge to their spiritual children – are beaten up by the activists
of the Islami Jamiat-e-Talba (IJT). With the varsity reopening
on Monday, the PU administration lost a golden opportunity to
capitalise on the rifts between various teacher groups to eradicate the
IJT from its campus, and the teachers went back to teaching, despite
one of them getting tortured at by IJT students and getting away with
it. PU teachers, civil society and non-government organisations,
politicians and students were seen united for the first time in massive
protest campaigns across the city after IJT students tortured PU
Disciplinary Committee head Dr Iftikhar Baloch. Disappointment:
Protests were conducted by teachers in other universities of the
country as well, but all these efforts ended in disappointment, as was
seen on Monday in the general body meeting of the PU Academic Staff
Association (PUASA) – which consists of a majority of pro-IJT teachers,
including PUASA President Maher Saeed Akhtar. There are three
teachers' groups in the PU – the pro-IJT Academic Group, the Teachers'
Front and the Academic Forum. In Monday's meeting, the PUASA decided to
end its strike and announced a "one-hour token strike each week" to
protest the torture incident, a decision strongly criticised by other
teacher groups. However, PU teachers do appreciate the role of
Dr Maher Saeed Akhtar, who is a pro-IJT teacher, but was among the
first people to launch protests against the IJT's manhandling of Dr
Baloch. But some believe that some pro-IJT teachers joined the
protests merely to side with the teachers – not because they opposed
IJT's tactics – and tried their best for ensuring that the movement
failed. These teachers conducted exams by violating the vice
chancellor's (VC) instructions and even warned teachers of the other
two groups that not much could be done against the IJT due to
"invisible pressures" on the varsity administration. Former IJT
activists also contributed to the anti-strike campaign by holding a
press conference to oppose the teachers' strike and also distributed
pamphlets against VC Dr Mujahid Kamran. The PU opened after a 19-day
hiatus, with teachers and civil society members condemning government
authorities for "making a fool of the people" by conducting bogus raids
for arresting IJT students. A number of teachers fear that the
worst is still to come as the varsity had lost an opportunity to get
rid of the "hooligans", adding that manhandling of teachers at the
hands of the IJT would be the culture of the PU in the future. Decision:
The teachers also had apprehensions over the VC's announcement of
reopening the university, saying the decision was "beyond
understanding". They said the only assurance of the university
safeguarding the teachers' dignity would have been the eradication of
IJT from the PU. Meanwhile, canteen owners in the PU were seen adhering
to the rates set by the IJT's price-control committees and were
dedicatedly closing their businesses at the time of prayers, as per the
instructions of the IJT. Daily times
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PU to open on Saturdays
Lahore: The Punjab University teachers while ending the boycott
of classes at the university have declared Saturdays as a full working
days for holding special classes up to June 30 in order to make up for
the loss of study caused by their 15-day boycott. Meanwhile, the university has also banned distribution of pamphlets on its premises. The
decisions were made in two separate meetings of deans and principals of
the PU constituent colleges, chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid
Kamran, and the PU Academic Staff Association (PUASA) on Monday. It
is pertinent to mention here that academic activities were suspended on
April 2, 2010 after the activists of the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT)
thrashed and injured Prof Dr Iftikhar Hussain Baloch. The VCís
meeting also decided that with a view to facilitate students, the PU
transport fleet would ply on all the routes on Saturdays up to June 30.
Resident Officer (RO-I) Prof Shahid Mahmood Gul was directed to
make arrangements for extra university buses on Friday evening also to
facilitate the students who might take their classes after Friday
prayers. All the heads of departments have been authorised to depute
limited officials/support staff on Saturday for holding special
classes. The university also directed the RO-I that a constant
vigilance by the security staff in collaboration with the police
officials should be kept to ensure that no expelled or student wanted
by police might reside in the university hostels. A PU faculty member said some IJT activists had distributed
pamphlets after Friday prayers at the New Campus, on the pretext of
giving the views of the expelled students. He said the content and tone
of the pamphlets were threatening and adding: ěEverybody knows that
most of the expelled and rusticated students belonged to the IJT.î The
PUASA also held its general body meeting and decided to end the boycott
but to continue protest against hooliganism of the IJT. The
meeting, chaired by PUASA President Prof Dr Mahr Muhammad Saeed Akhtar
and Secretary General Prof Javed Sami, unanimously decided to end the
academic boycott with immediate effect in addition to continuing the
protest movement. The meeting also decided that in order to make
up for the loss/deficiency in the work of students, classes would also
be conducted on Saturdays which were observed as holiday in the PU,
till the completion of the on-going semester. It was decided
that in the next phase of the protest movement, a token strike would be
observed once a week and the teachers would wear black badges and
ribbons. A participant of the meeting said some teachers
highlighted the need of academic boycott for a few hours once a week in
order to make the government realize the deteriorating law and order
situation at the PU so that drastic measures could be taken to flush
out Jamiat permanently from the university. The teachers also
demanded the Punjab government immediately arrest the remaining
culprits, nominated in the FIR of Prof Iftikhar Hussain Baloch case.
The participants also expressed their grief over the demise of Islamic
scholar late Dr Israr Ahmed. The news
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PU faculty ends boycott after 18 days
Lahore: The Punjab University Academic Staff Association
(PUASA) general body reportedly on Monday decided to end academic
boycott and resume academic activity, which it had suspended 18 days
ago. There was no official version available from the PUASA
President Prof Dr Mahr Saeed Akhtar and Secretary Javed Sami as both
did not take calls from reporters. An executive member of the
association said that the president and the general secretary had
directed all members not to speak to the media. The PU
administration, however, sent a news release that states that the PUASA
general body had unanimously decided to end the academic boycott with
an immediate effect. Interestingly, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr
Mujahid Kamran presided over a meeting of all PU faculties' deans and
principals of the constituent colleges prior to the general body
meeting at 9am on Monday and decided that classes would be held from
Monday. However, no class could be organised on Monday. The deans and principals meeting decided that remedial classes would be arranged to make-up the loss of 15 working days. The
meeting also decided that special classes would be held on Saturdays
till June 30. As the PU administration declared Saturday as a working
day, the Resident Officer-I was directed to make arrangements to ply
university buses for the students. Similarly, in order to facilitate
the students, extra routes would also ply between Old Campus to New
Campus on Friday at 4.30pm. The PU administration also issued
instructions to all heads of the departments to call selected staff
members on Saturdays for special classes. The general body in
its three-hour long meeting, which began at 11am, reportedly decided to
suspend complete academic boycott and resume regular classes from
Tuesday (today). Sources said the PUASA general body also decided that
they would wear black armbands, display protest badges and observe
token academic boycott for one or two hours once a week. A
PUASA committee will select a day, when token academic boycott will be
observed to keep pressure on the Punjab government for the arrest of
nominated accused in an FIR registered for attack on PU Discipline
Committee Chairman Prof Dr Iftikhar Hussain Baloch. The news
release sent by PU administration says that PUASA president Prof Dr
Mahr Saeed Akhtar said at the general body meeting teachers should
regularly take make-up classes. The appeal was accepted by the faculty
members, the release said. In the second phase of the protest
movement, Prof Akhtar said, a token strike would be observed once a
week and teachers would wear black badges and ribbons. With regard to
the other relevant matters, he said, befitting decisions would be taken
and conveyed to the member teachers. The PUASA general body
also demanded that the Punjab government arrest the remaining culprits
nominated in the FIR pertaining to Prof Baloch at the earliest. Dawn
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PU planning construction of 40 examination halls
Lahore: The Punjab University administration is considering
constructing a cluster centre, comprising 40 examination halls, in the
New Campus area to make the university self-sufficient in the
examination centres. According to a press statement on Monday,
this was stated by PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran while
talking to the examination staff during a surprise visit to the PU
examination cluster centre, consisting of 24 halls for 4,800 candidates
on the Wahdat Road during the ongoing BA/BSc annual examination. The
VC inspected the examination centres and inquired from the
superintendent and supporting staff on duty as to whether they were
facing any problem in the conduct of examination. He was also informed
that a generator had been arranged to ensure uninterrupted power supply
during loadshedding. Suitable arrangements for seating and drinking
water had also been ensured for the relatives accompanying the female
candidates. Controller Examinations Prof Dr Zahid Karim Khan,
Additional Controller Malik Muhammad Zaheer and Students Advisor
Iftikhar Ahmad Chaudhry were also present. PU announces results:
The Punjab University (PU) Examinations Department has announced
results of BS Mathematics (Semester System), Session 2002-2006, MS
Mathematics (Semester System), Session 2007-2009, MA Punjabi (Semester
System), Session 2005-2007, MA Punjabi (Semester System), Session
2004-2006, MPhil leading to PhD in Biochemistry (Semester System),
Session 2005-2007, Master of Information & Operational Management
(Semester System), Session 2007-2009 and MBA Insurance & Risk
Management, Evening, Semester System, Session 2007-2009. Detailed
results are available at PU website www.pu.edu.pk Meanwhile, according
to a press statement, the Punjab University has awarded a PhD degree to
Muhammad Iqbal s/o Sh Abdul Hameed in geology after approval of his
thesis entitled "Role of Environmental Geology in Urbanization of
Lahore City." The news
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PhD degree awarded at PU
Lahore: The Punjab University has awarded PhD degree to Muhammad Iqbal
S/o Sh Abdul Hameed in the subject of Geology after approval of his
research thesis entitled 'Role of Environmental Geology in Urbanization
of Lahore City'. He completed his thesis under the supervision of Prof
Dr Riaz Ahmed Sheikh of Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab.
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Secy Edu has final word for rescuing 'guilty'
Lahore: Despite three departmental inquiries declaring a principal and
a senior clerk guilty of financial irregularities, an administrative
secretary brushed the recommendations under the carpet and gave a clean
chit to the guilty ones by being 'Competent Authority' and having the
eye of seeing 'no malafide intentions'. Secretary Higher Education
Department Ahad Khan Cheema exonerated former principal Government
College for Women Sangla Hill Tallat Yasmin and a senior clerk Altaf
Hussain of the same institute of embezzlement charges, which were
proven correct by the three departmental enquiries comprising of
officers even senior to the secretary. Interestingly, none of the
inquiry committees differed in their observations, findings and
recommendations, except the secretary, whose words seemed to have
become a law when he overruled the recommendations of the inquiry
committees. "If it is the secretary to have the final say, then no
inquiry committee should be constituted and Ahad Cheema must use his
'vision' and 'authority' to either punish or reward the guilty," opined
an inquiry officer, seeking anonymity, further questioning whether 'no
malafide intentions' and 'Competent Authority' were tangible reasons
for exonerating the guilty. Interestingly, Tallat Yasmin remained
acting principal for over 10 years, and the education department did
not deem it right to appoint a regular incumbent during this decade.
"This speaks volumes about either the influence of the lady or the poor
working of the department, which is also found guilty of not working as
per merit," observed the officer. The secretary did not make
himself available for comments despite repeated attempts. "Sorry, in a
meeting" was his SMS reply, which perhaps continued till late night. As
per documents, Tallat Yasmin was accused of giving admission to 46
students in the second shift, but were taught in the morning session.
She received an amount of Rs 1,65,600 and never deposited it in any
official account and kept the money in her purse, which is a serious
irregularity. "It makes clear the accused officer has no sense of
financial discipline, and she may be awarded penalty of stoppage of
three increments and may not be posted as principal in future,"
recommended an inquiry committee. About Altaf Hussain, it was
maintained in the inquiry that he never brought the irregularity to the
notice of the next higher authority of the education department and was
equally responsible for the financial embezzlement. It was recommended
that he may be awarded punishment of stoppage of one increment and
transferred from the institute. The official sources further confided the accused teacher was being
posted as principal of the same institute, which was being primarily
attributed to the connections among the higher political and
administrative corridors. According to the documents made
available by the sources, Principal Government Girls College Shahkot
Sajida Nadir headed and conducted the first inquiry, and upon the
recommendation of the inquiry, Tallat Yasmin was removed from the post
of principal though not put under suspension. However, she was gain
posted in the same institute as a lecturer. In the meantime, three
officers of BS-19 and BS-20 also conducted enquiries. Principal
Government College Gulberg (Lahore) Dr Muhammad Zulfiqar Ali Rana
completed an inquiry after meeting teachers and students of GC for
Women Sangla Hill. Nevertheless, under certain pressures, the
recommendations and observations of the inquiry could not see the light
of the day since these were not actualised. He had recommended
that departmental action under the Punjab Employees Efficiency and
Disciplinary Act (PEEDA) 2006 may be initiated against Tallat Yasmin.
He had also mentioned that the embezzled amount would be Rs 0.5 million
approximately. Moreover, repeated changes in the enquiries also took place in the meantime. Ultimately,
Principal Government Girls College Cooper Road (Lahore) Farzana Shaheen
completed the inquiry, and recommended Tallat Yasmin should never be
posted as principal in future and as a punishment for indulging in
corrupt practices, her three increments should be withdrawn as well. Despite
this, Ahad Khan Cheema dared to exonerate Tallat Yasmin and Altaf
Hussain by rejecting the findings and recommendations of the three
committees. Under the pretext of the personal hearing, the secretary
concluded there was no mala fide intention on her part as she kept
amount in hand for payment of salary to the hired honorary teachers for
the betterment of the college. He maintained this by asserting the
usual rhetoric "after the careful examination of the record, facts of
the case and defence offered by the accused officer and official". By
considering himself as "the Competent Authority," he "Exonerates" Mrs
Tallat Yasmin and Altaf Hussain as provided under section 13 (3) of the
PEEDA Act 2006." The nation
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Lack of facilities: UET Taxila students block G.T. Road
Taxila: Over 2,000 charged students of the University of
Engineering and Technology (UET) Taxila on Monday staged a protest
rally and blocked G.T. Road for over four hours to press the university
administration for acceptance of their demands. The students
of various departments of BSc engineering carrying placards and banners
inscribed with slogans against the administration marched from the
university campus to G.T. Road and placed stones and burning tyres on
it, resulting in suspension of traffic. The students were
protesting against the unavailability of water in the hostel for the
last one month and seven to 10 hours power loadshedding daily on the
university campus. Talking to mediapersons on the occasion,
the protesting students said practical work of BSc information
technology and computer sciences was being affected because of
prolonged power cuts. They said some of the university's
officials had threatened to expel them from the university for
demanding basic facilities like drinking water, electricity and good
food at the hostel. The students said they had voiced their
concern over poor food at the hostel and cafeteria but, they added, the
authorities were unmoved. They also demanded removal of senior warden
from his post. A heavy contingent of police headed by DSP
Mohammad Irshad reached the spot and started negotiation with
protesting students, but they insisted to discuss the issues with
vice-chancellor of the university. Later, Vice-Chancellor
Akram Javaid along with Dean and Director Students Affairs Prof Tahir
Nadeem Malik came to the protest site and held negotiations with the
protesters who ended the protest after the vice-chancellor ensured them
that their problems would be solved. Commuters, especially
travelling by public transport, had to face hardships because of the
traffic suspension. Women and children were particularly hard hit by
the situation. Interestingly, officials of the National Highway Police did reach the spot to rescue the stranded passengers. Dawn
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