University of Karachi; Recommending resignation of ICCBS Director

Karachi: Due to the unnecessary and unconstitutional interference of donors in the International Center of Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), the only institution of international repute in the University of Karachi, the situation has deteriorated.

This institution has a distinguished position in the scientific world in terms of research, but now some faculty members have also joined the confrontation against the management of the institute due to the intervention of donors, which has led to difficulties in running the institution with better management. is facing

Dr. Nadra Panjwani, chairperson of ICCBS donor Dr. Nadra Panjwani Memorial Trust, which consists of at least five scientific research institutes and a digital library, and Aziz Latif Jamal, chairman of Hussain Ibrahim Jamal Foundation, wrote a letter full of their intervention to Dr. Attaur Rehman, Patron Chief of the organization. In which the current Acting Head of ICCBS, Dr. Farzana Shaheen, has been proposed to be removed from the post and another senior faculty member should be appointed in her place, calling her responsible for mismanagement and mismanagement in the institution.

Along with this, some teachers of the institution have crossed their service limits after some differences with the director and have invited the intervention of ICCBS by writing direct letters or e-mails to the Higher Education Commission.

It is being told that the details of scientific projects worth more than 200 million rupees were asked from them after which this situation arose.

It should be noted that the whole situation started after the four-year tenure of ICCBS former director Prof. Dr. Raqbal Chaudhry ended in September, as many faculty members including donors wanted to see retired Prof. Dr. Raqbal Chaudhry, who had been on the post of director for 20 years.

However, some employees went to the court on this issue and after the matter came under the legal scope, in a meeting organized by “BOG”, Dr. Farzana Shaheen, the senior most serving professor of the institution, was appointed acting director for three months, which was accepted by some faculty members. did not

It is being told that in the same meeting, when some members felt that it was no longer legally possible to extend Dr. Iqbal Chaudhry’s tenure, they proposed to appoint Dr. Chaudhry as an advisor to the institution. The wish could not be fulfilled.

On the other hand, due to the ban on new appointments by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Dr. Farzana Shaheen was given a second extension by the Vice Chancellor to work in this position.

In the meantime, some important events took place, the Acting Director stopped the funds for the construction of the Uniscochair in this institution and the payments to the contractor were not released because it was revealed that no funds were actually allocated for this purpose and the construction of the Uniscochair was being done from other sources without any approval.

On the other hand, it was learned that when the current administration asked for the details of the ongoing research project on cancer diagnosis from the two faculty members who are considered to be very close to the former director, they refused to provide these details to their institution. Instead, a complaint letter was sent to HEC through email, in which an attempt was made to convey that under the current director’s tenure, the institution is going towards ruin, so immediate intervention is needed.

It should be noted that when these e-mails were revealed, the interrogation of the two faculty members began and it was decided that both of them should be interrogated on this matter and they should be exposed.

An informal meeting was called by himself and the existing directors were also called and he was allegedly put under severe pressure, tried to tell them that he was holding this post only because of Dr. So don’t challenge their legacy, follow their advice and as they say, there is no need to issue a show cause to any faculty, they will apologize to them, that’s enough.

However, after the Acting Director issued show-cause notices to both the faculty members, one apparently did not receive the show-cause notices. On the other hand, when “Express” contacted the acting head of ICCBS, Dr. Farzana Shaheen, and inquired about the whole situation, after 30 minutes of inquiry, he confirmed some of the issues and both were called by the said donor. He also mentioned and confirmed the informal meeting and the pressure put on them and the difficulties created by some faculty in the institution.

He said that this is the first time that HEC is invited to intervene by breaking the protocol of the institution and university, on which a show cause notice was issued.

On the question of “Express” that through a letter, the donors of the organization did not trust you and also severely criticized your performance, he said that if the performance is to be seen, it has happened for the first time in the last 20 years that this has happened. Our MPhil/PhD students have submitted 41 research theses in last 3 months and 35 have been viva. Scholars can save their valuable time.

He revealed that when I visited the hostel, I found that our students are living in the hostel in such a situation that it is unfortunate that we have tried to provide them with quality accommodation.

It has been learned that the two donors have termed the extension of the tenure of Dr. Farzana Shaheen as Director ICCBS as harmful for the institution.
And in his letter, he has taken a position that Dr. Farzana Shaheen’s tenure is free from conflicts and poor management issues where personal animosity and petty issues are seen in the institution.

The letter states that it has come to our knowledge that now serious differences are emerging between the faculty and this whole situation is reaching the media and these internal differences are hurting the reputation of the institution, so it is in the best interest of the institution that the next senior faculty The member should be given an opportunity to understand the issues with other faculty so that the institution can get back on track.

In the same letter, former director Dr. Raqbal Chaudhry has also been reminded to be appointed as an advisor to the institution.

In this regard, when “Express” contacted ICCBS executive board member and writer of the complaint letter Nadira Panjwani and inquired from her about the letter to which she said that it is our internal matter. So it cannot be discussed. However, when she was asked that ICCBS is a government institution under the University of Karachi and funded by HEC, she said that it is fine but still she thinks that it is It is an internal matter and should not be discussed.

Further, when contacted, Aziz Jamal, a member of the Executive Board and the author of the joint letter, refused to answer the phone and did not respond to messages.