NED University retired professor Dr A.Q. Alvi case
NED given 30 days to clear ex-professor's dues
Karachi, Apr 20: The Sindh ombudsman has directed the vice-chancellor
of the NED University of Engineering and Technology to clear Rs3.339
million dues, which the university owed to retired professor Dr A.Q.
Alvi within 30 days. The directive was issued by Ombudsman Asad
Ashraf Malik to VC Abul Kalam on April 14 on a complaint filed by the
retired professor. Dr Alvi had complained that the NED varsity had been unjustly withholding the payment for over 23 years. The
ombudsman stated that the complainant could file a suit in a competent
court of jurisdiction for damages / profit caused due to the inordinate
delay in the payment of arrears by the university if he so desired. The
breakdown of Rs3,339,897.70 arrears as put by the ombudsman was:
provident fund (Rs662,432), commutation (Rs997,022.10), monthly pension
up to Feb 2010 (Rs1,624,555.60), salary for Oct/Nov 1986 (Rs18,216),
qualification allowance (Rs9,000), salary for June 1991 (Rs5,673), and
encashment of 49-day leave (Rs22,990). Prof Alvi had obtained
permission from the university to do some consultancy work and earned
some money but the university later demanded a 30 per cent share in his
income. The professor refused to share the earnings, arguing that there
was no mention of the share in the permission granted to him. The
university, however, withheld his dues on his retirement and adjusted
the same against its demand of a 30 per cent share of his earning. The
ombudsman, in his concluding remarks, said that the complainant had
been deprived of pay and other benefits for about 23 years whereas all
his dues should have been paid / settled within two weeks of his
retirement, which was a clear violation of a Supreme Court judgment. He
said the university failed to follow the rules and directives of the
Sindh finance department in absolute disregard of established financial
practices. The ombudsman noted that the university also failed
to realise that the permission granted to the complainant had no
condition for a 30 per cent share in the income. Besides, the
university failed to appreciate that its decision taken at a later date
could not be applied retrospectively to a person availing a benefit
under an earlier order even though it was passed by the same authority
which had passed the earlier order allowing certain benefits (PLD 1969
Supreme Court 407). The ombudsman said it was obvious that those
at the helm of affairs at the NED varsity were responsible for delaying
the payment of the service dues of Dr Alvi to him. "By delaying
finalisation of pension benefits, flagrant disregard has been shown to
the judgment (Criminal Misc Application No 226 of 2006 decided on May
18, 2006, PLD 2007 Supreme Court 35) passed by the supreme court." Referring
to a 1969 judgment of the then Chief Justice of Pakistan Hamoodur
Rehman, which states: "Principle of locus poenitentiae (power of
receding till decisive step taken) is available to government or
relevant authorities – Authority competent to make order has power to
undo it – Order, however, cannot be withdrawn or rescinded once it has
taken legal effect and certain rights created in favour of any
individual – General Clauses Act (X of 1897), S.21", the ombudsman said
that the permission accorded to the complainant earlier could neither
be revoked nor withdrawn and as such, the benefit drawn by the
complainant as well could not be withdrawn or rescinded by the
university. The ombudsman also referred to a Supreme Court
ruling (PLD Volume LIX, 2007.Para 11) passed in 2006. The judgment
stated: "We also direct that in future if there is any delay in the
finalization of the pension benefits cases of the government servants,
widows or orphan children and the matter is brought to the notice of
the court, the head of the concerned department shall also be held
liable for the contempt of the court and shall be dealt with strictly
in accordance with law." Dawn
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Earth Day at KU
Karachi: The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) and the Sindh Environment
and Alternate Energy Department have jointly chalked out several
activities to celebrate the Earth Day at the University of Karachi (KU)
on April 22. Tree plantation, garbage collection, a seminar and an
awareness walk will be held to mark the day. According to Mirza Mujtaba
Baig, Assistant Director of public awareness at the Sepa, tree
plantation and garbage collection exercises involving students would be
carried out on April 21 at the KU. Similarly, a seminar and an
awareness walk would be held on April 22. Sindh Sports Minister Dr
Muhammad Ali Shah would be the chief guest. The news
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UoB Convocation on April 21
Quetta: Tenth convocation of University of Balochistan would be
held here on April 21 at University Gymnasium. Governor Balochistan who
is also Chancellor of University would be chief guest.
UoB sources said here Monday that full dress rehearsal for the
convocation would be held on April 20.
Three students passed out from different disciplines, four PHDs, 11
MPhil awards, 34 gold medalists would be conferred degrees. Ppi
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Jinnah College for Women (UoP) convocation
Peshawar: The 19th annual convocation of Jinnah College for
Women (JCW), University of Peshawar would be held on April 29 at
Convocation Hall of the varsity. Vice Chancellor University
of Peshawar Prof Dr Azmat Hayat and Principal of Jinnah College for
Women Dr Nilofar Zeb Arbab would distribute degrees among the
successful students. The full dress rehearsal would be held in Convocation Hall, Peshawar University on April 28. App
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School Cluster System: Principals to get monitoring powers
Peshawar: The education department has decided to empower the
principals of high and higher secondary schools to monitor all the
government-run primary and middle schools in their locality. The elementary and secondary education department is all set to
implement its newly-devised system called "School Cluster System",
which is aimed at strengthening the monitoring of schools all across
the province. The administrative and financial powers
currently exercised by a deputy district officer (DDO) in all the
primary and middle schools in a town or tehsil would be transferred to
the principals of high and higher secondary schools, an official said. Presently a DDO not only looks after the administrative
and financial matters of the primary and middle schools in tehsil and
town level but is also responsible to monitor the schools' performance.
Too many responsibilities have resulted in incapability of these
officers to fully perform their duties. The education authorities have
decided to share their responsibilities with the high and higher
secondary schools' principals to monitor the primary and middle schools
in their locality, official sources said. "It is not
physically possible for the DDO to monitor a large number of schools in
his jurisdiction", an education department official said. Project Director Education Sector Reforms Unit (ESRU) Raja Saad Khan
said that with the increase in responsibilities of the principals,
the government would revise their job description and salaries. Leave sanctioning authority, conducting trainings, power to take
disciplinary actions, repairing and smalltime constructions and
transfer and posting of teachers within the cluster schools would be
given to the principals, he said. With the implementation of
the School Cluster System (SCS), monitoring of the primary and middle
schools would be strengthened up to a large extent. Absenteeism of
teachers, which is very common in the primary and middle schools, would
be controlled. Under the new system, schools would be divided
into clusters. Each cluster would consist of a high/higher secondary
school as well as many middle and primary schools located near to it,
an official said. The number of primary and middle schools within the
cluster would be five to 15. "Once the SCS is implemented,
the primary and middle schools under the jurisdiction of a high and
higher secondary school will be administered by the principal of the
high and higher secondary school", an official said. The
teachers usually remain absent from the schools but do sign the
attendance register on the second day with the consent of the
respective headmasters. Such teachers did not fear any legal action
against them by the DDO as they knew that DDO couldn't visit each and
every school in his jurisdiction. After the implementation of the SCS, it would be difficult for the teachers to violate discipline. Similarly
all the financial matters of the cluster schools would be handled by
the principal in charge, which would prove helpful for the teachers to
address their problems at local level. Dawn
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Lady Cadets
Karachi: I felt proud when I saw the passing out parade of Gentleman Cadets (GCs)
and Lady Cadets (LCs) which was held at Pakistan Military Academy in
Kakul on April 17. During the era of Musharraf government, Pakistan
Armed Forces started to give chance to the graduate ladies and a large
number of young ladies have joined the ranks of the armed forces. Being
a girl, I want to appreciate and congratulate those cadets who received
the ranks of captain in Pakistan Army. It is an honour for each and
every person of our nation that the women of our country are also
serving and defending their motherland. I also congratulate and thank
the parents of these cadets that they permitted them to serve the
country and defend their homeland. They all are a symbol of pride for
our nation. By Sakina Mubarak(F.P report)
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