SWABI: The Women University Swabi (WUS) has been functioning without a regular vice-chancellor since May this year after Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who is also chancellor of public sector universities in the province, sent its regular VC, Prof. Shahana Urooj Kazmi on forced leave twice spanning six months.
Additional charge of WUS VC was given to Prof. Zahoorul Haq, the VC of Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan. Earlier, Prof. Mukarram Shah also worked as acting VC.
It has been learnt that the WUS senate meeting, which was scheduled to be held at the Governor House last Wednesday, has been postponed for lack of quorum.
Prof. Shahana Urooj said that before convening the senate meeting it was expected that she would be terminated from service. “They wanted to end my service, but after the court verdict on the show cause notice it was difficult,” she said.
“I have submitted a 70-page reply to the show cause notice. I never indulged in any wrong doing and performed my official duty,” she said.
The Peshawar High Court’s “interim relief” order in the show cause notice says that “no final order shall be passed” against Prof Shahana till November 26, the next date of hearing.
University sources said that Prof. Kazmi’s forced leave would end on November 20.
They said she can not be sent on forced leave for third time and the university senate or chancellor had to make a decision either terminating or allowing her to resume charge as VC again.
On the show cause case, the decision was handed down on Saturday, giving relief to the petitioner (Prof. Kazmi) and directing her to submit a reply to the notice.
Earlier, a writ petition filed by Prof. Shahana against the recommendations of the Governor Inspection Team and the order of the chancellor for sending her on forced leave was dismissed. However, she challenged the PHC verdict in the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, around 11 departments of Women University Swabi were closed down by Swabi Model School (SMS) after the university failed to pay the building rent.
Officials said university has rented building from Swabi Model School (SMS) in Kota village where 11 departments are functional for the past few years but the university has failed to pay the rent and it has Rs6.4 million in dues to be paid to the school.
On Monday, after repeated warnings, the SMS staff closed down all the 11 departments working in its building and didn’t allow the students to enter,” said another official, adding that like the rest of the universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the varsity is also passing through a financial crisis.
It is worth mentioning here that Swabi Model School was established during the MMA government by the then minister education Fazal Ali Haqqani on a large piece of land in Kota village. He named it Fazal Ali Haqqani School but the ANP government renamed it Swabi Model School. Since the school has a large building which is more than enough for its own use so it rented a large part of the school building to WUS which established 11 departments in the building where hundreds of female students are enrolled. Its own main campus is under construction adjacent to the school.
The payment of rent is a perennial issue between the school and university administration.
The school administration says that they are not treated well by the university administration and they don’t pay on time. On the other hand the university administration claims that the school was merged into the university by its first vice chancellor Shahzadi Akhunzadi.
There are allegations and counter allegations from both sides. After the merger, the school experienced financial losses three years ago following which the university started efforts to end the merger on one pretext or the other.
The university didn’t want to share the financial burden of this school in the face of its own financial losses so Minister Education Shahram Tarakai was also involved in negotiations and at long last in August 2021 the university issued a letter that it has nothing to do with the school.
A teacher of the women university claimed that a few days ago the students were not allowed to take classes in the building and the university administration had asked for one week time to clear its dues.
“Now after two days they have again stopped the classes. The university has to pay Rs3.4 million in rent and Rs3 million in security,” she claimed.
A school teacher claimed that they have not been paid for four months and they are waiting for the payment of rent from the university so that their salaries could be released.
University students also blamed that the tussle on the rent and use of the building is wasting their precious time.
When contacted the university administration rejected the claims of the school teachers and administration.
Read more: PM launches Digital Power of Attorney (PoA) Service for Overseas Pakistanis
