LAHORE: The University of Punjab (PU) administration Tuesday issued a notification suspending the appointment of Institute of Geology Department director Dr Shahid Ghazi and made Dean of Science Director Dr Shahid Kamal in-charge of the department until further orders.
The development came after Punjab Minister for Higher Education Raza Ali Gilani Wednesday took notice of alleged illegal appointment of the new director against the decision of the PU Syndicate.
A 10-member delegation comprising senior teachers and employees of Institute of Geology, including Dr Shahid Jameel Sameeni, Dr Naveed Ahsan, Dr. Kamran Mirza Sanaullah Sani and others, called on the minister at his office for talks after their six-day protest against the appointment of Dr Shahid Gahzi.
The delegation told the minister that Dr Shahid Ghazi had been appointed illegally in sheer violation of the Syndicate. They alleged that PU Vice Chancellor Dr Zafar Mueen Nasar was taking political decisions to “please a particular group”.
During the meeting, the minister told the delegation that he would not accept any decision against the rules. He said justice would be dispensed to teachers and employees of the institute.
The ministers also directed the Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairman Dr Nizamuddin to refer the case to the same committee, which is probing the case of removal of 42 retired professors in PU. The committee consists of Government College University (GCU) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hasan Ameer Shah and University of Education Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Rauf-e-Azam. The minister said the committee would present its report in three days.
However, the PU administration Wednesday issued a notification suspending the appointment of Dr Shahid Ghazi.
Sources privy to the development said that it was a matter of great concern for the Punjab University as a committee had been formed outside the university to look into the university’s matters.
