ISLAMABAD, FEB 27 (DNA) – The Vice Chancellor of Quaid-i-Azam University, recently appointed the Acting Deans of three Faculties without seeking the mandatory approval of the Chancellor/President of Pakistan, which has caused unrest among the faculty.

On February 9 and 10, the Vice Chancellor Dr. M Ali had appointed three different professors as Acting Deans of their respective Faculties, i.e. Biological Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences.

Under the Quaid-i-Azam University Act 1973, there is no provision for appointment of Acting Dean. Rather, the appointment of Deans is the sole prerogative of the Chancellor/President, and any of the three senior-most professors of each Faculty may be appointed as Deans of their respective Faculties.

The notification from QAU Administration issued in each case does indicate whether any approval for these acting charge appointments was sought from the Chancellor’s office, nor does it state the University Statute under which the acting charge has been given.

The appointment of Acting Dean is prejudicial to the other two professors on the panel for each faculty, as they are disfavoured by such an action. While the other two nominees in each case feel deprived, the faculty in general seems upset at the latest unlawful and unjust act of the QAU Administration.

The University had earlier sent the three cases to the Chancellor/President’s office through the Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training, which are still in process. Thus, by appointing Acting Deans before the formal approval, the Vice Chancellor has apparently abrogated the authority of the Chancellor/President.

Commenting on the matter, Dr. M Ali Vice Chancellor QAU said “It’s stop gap arrangement 13/4, which is legal and practised since long in all universities of Pakistan.

However, a QAU senior professor said on the condition of anonymity  that there was no emergency in appointing the Acting Deans, the summaries were sent only recently to the Chancellor. Invocation of emergency clause is justified if the Chancellor’s office has been dragging its feet for a while.

Moreover, as per the QAU Act, the Vice Chancellor has to report any emergency action “as soon thereafter”,  which apparently did not happen in this case.

“It’s like you are trying to force the chancellor’s hand. And it is an attempt to favor a candidate and mislead the Chancellor while usurping his authority,” says the professor.=DNA

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