Row over termination of IIU teachers deepens

IIU president says sacked teachers’ allegations are baseless

The News, http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=162597
Saturday, February 14, 2009 Noor Aftab Islamabad

Row over termination of two senior teachers from the faculty of engineering and technology of the International Islamic University (IIU) Islamabad is deepening day by day as both administration and students stick to their respective viewpoints.

Twelve committees constituted by the students have shown firm resolve that if both the terminated teachers are not restored to their positions they would continue to lodge protest even on the streets of the city.

IIU President Dr. Anwar Hussain Siddiqui said the contract signed by Dr. Ijaz Mansoor Qureshi, acting dean of faculty of engineering and technology, clearly stated that either side can end the contract on one-month notice without showing any reason.

The IIU administration has terminated the services of Dr. Ijaz Mansoor Qureshi, dean of faculty of engineering and technology and Professor Dr. Ejaz Ahmad that led to protests by the students who alleged that this step was taken on the basis of some personal grudges. The termination letters issued to sacked teachers carried only two to three short sentences without showing any specific reasons for this step. One of the letter issued to Dr. Mansoor Qureshi read “due to some internal constraints we do not require your services”.

Dr. Ijaz Mansoor Qureshi told ‘The News’ that a person sent by the university administration reached his house on Jan 24 in the late evening and asked him to receive his termination letter. “It was just a humiliation so I refused to receive the termination letter at my home. I asked the person that I would come to the university and receive my termination letter in my office,” he said.

Dr. Ijaz, who was working on two-year contract to be expired on June 30 this year, said he received his termination letter on January 26, in his office and was stunned to know that he was dismissed without showing any reason. He said, “I am ready to face the IIU president on any forum and if he wants to hold debate with me I invite him to come and argue with me,” he said. Dr. Ijaz said he had already supervised six Ph.D students and eight more are going to do it in the coming days. He alleged that he was terminated only on the basis of personal liking and disliking of the university administration, adding “I always prefer my work and profession over any other thing”.

When contacted IIU President Dr. Anwar Hussain Siddiqui said dean of the faculty of engineering and technology was terminated following all the relevant rules and procedures. He said Dr. Ijaz Qureshi, hired on a high salary, was given due respect, but he made a pressure group against the administration and started exploiting on various issues. Dr. Anwar alleged that the sacked dean gave admission to 150 students in MS and Ph.D programmes and when “I asked him (dean) how can we manage when they will start their thesis, then he gave me no proper answer”.

He also alleged that Dr. Ijaz Qureshi forwarded the names of his previous students for two posts who did not have the relevant experience.

“When I oppose their appointment because they were not fulfilling the requirements, then Dr. Qureshi with some other people started pressurising me to get undue favour,” he said. Dr. Anwar said there are 8 faculties and 27 departments having 1,700 male and female students, adding “I don’t indulge in petty affairs so allegations of personal grudges by Dr. Qureshi are quite false and baseless”. Representatives of various students committees, who requested anonymity to avoid any alleged victimisation by the university administration, said new acting dean of the faculty of engineering and technology held a meeting with them on Wednesday and assured that their demands would be fulfilled.

“But on Thursday we were conveyed a message that if they take back the demand of restoration of the sacked teachers then all other demands would be fulfilled in one go,” they alleged. They said they were waiting for the response due to which they did not hold protest demonstration on Thursday and Friday but now they would re-continue their protests unless both dismissed teachers are not restored by the university administration.